Cong Remained Oblivious to Minorities Persecution in Pakistan Since Independence: Irani

Varanasi, Jan 18 (PTI) Accusing the Congress and opposition of being oblivious of the plight of minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided for their citizenship to rehabilitate them with respect in India.

Addressing a rally here at the Sampurnanand University ground, she said the percentage of minority communities in Pakistan drastically came down to three percent from 23 percent since independence, but the Congress never saw it all these years.

Referring to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rout's recent remark about Indira Gandhi's alleged meeting with Karim Lala, she said the grand old party jailed leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jai Prakash Narayan and Choudhary Charn Singh during Emergency, but left people like Karim Lala to move freely in the country.

Recalling former Congress president leader Rahul Gandhi's remark, “My name is Rahul Gandhi not Rahul Savarkar..", at a Bharat Bachao rally in New Delhi last year, Irani said, "I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that even after 10 generations, he will not be able to match Savarkar's courage."

Claiming that the Congress Seva Dal wrote against Veer Savarkar and maligned his image, she said even the Congress insulted such a freedom fighter who faced torture in Andaman Jail for many tears.

Addressing the rally, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Congress of putting hurdles in early resolution of the Ayodhya dispute, saying they even approached the Supreme Court to ensure that the apex court does not deliver its verdict before the Lok Sabha elections.

"But now after so many years all the hurdles for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has been cleared with the apex court ruling and no power on earth can stop its construction niow," he said.

The rally was also attended by Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, former Union Minister Manoj Sinha, UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, and BJP leader Sunil Ojha.

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