No PM Has Ever Made Such Remarks, EC Must Give Notice to Modi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on PM Modi's Rajasthan Speech

New Delhi, April 22: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Congress will redistribute wealth' remark, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal Monday said political discourse has never sunk to such a low in India's history and urged the Election Commission to take action in the matter.

Sibal's attack came a day after Prime Minister Modi suggested that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. 'Hate Speech': PM Narendra Modi's Speech in Rajasthan Draws Congress Ire, Mallikarjun Kharge Says 'No Prime Minister Lowered Dignity of Post as Much as Modi'.

"After the PM's speech, crores of people will be disappointed. Probably no other prime minister has given such a statement since 1950. The speech points out that our minorities who have been living in India for years are infiltrators. What kind of politics is this," Sibal said at a press conference here.

"What kind of culture is this? You talk of Ram Mandir, inaugurate the temple, talk about Ram's ideals and on the other hand, you spread hate.

Where is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'. You cannot maintain India by being the groom on the horse of hate," he said, slamming the prime minister for his remark. Sibal said that he was deeply disappointed with the remark because he respects the post of the prime minister and the person sitting on it. "But when the PM is not worthy of respect, then the intellectuals of the country should come forward," he asserted. PM Modi in Telangana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Speech in Adilabad Draws Loud Cheers

‘Congress Will Distribute Wealth To Infiltrators’ Says Modi

Sibal also questioned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's silence on the remark. "We oppose the RSS and will do so in the future but I also know that the RSS has not taught these things to Modi, it is not their culture. Where has this come from," the former Congress leader asked. Sibal said that the prime minister talked about wealth at a time when over 40 per cent of the country's wealth is in the hands of one per cent of the population.

"He states that the Congress will give the wealth to infiltrators. Do the 20 per cent people of the country not matter? Never in India's history has political discourse touched such a low," he said. Sibal said he wanted to ask the Election Commission why it had not taken any action on Modi's speech.

"You (EC) should condemn this statement, give notice to Modi, direct channels to not repeat this and file a case under IPC 153A. The Election Commission should not forget that it has sworn on the Constitution. If they violate that and stand with such speeches, it will neither be good for them nor the country," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Hitting out at the PM, Sibal also accused him of speaking "untruths".

"The Congress and particularly Manmohan Singh never had the intention that the country's wealth goes to one community. They always strived that the SCs, STs, deprived, minorities are uplifted," the former minister in the UPA government said. "Giving such inciting speeches and spreading hate means you have forgotten 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', and nobody has 'Vishwas' in you," Sibal said. Speeches should be made on development issues and progress of the country, he asserted.

"If one talks of Ram, actions should not be like that of Ravan...I respect the post of PM and he is on that post, therefore, I respect him and I urge him to apologise to the people," Sibal said. Earlier in a post on ‘X', Sibal said, "PM accuses Congress: Says: If they come to power they could distribute the nation's wealth to infiltrators; those 'who have more children..should your hard earned money be given to infiltrators'."

"I expect nothing better from our PM! But I feel sad for my country," he said

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara on Sunday, Modi alleged that the Congress plans to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children".

In his remarks in Rajasthan, Modi also said, "The Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom - Manmohan Singh's government had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's assets."

"Earlier, when their (Congress) government was in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right to the country's assets. This means to whom will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children," the prime minister said.

Addressing the 52nd Meeting of the National Development Council in 2006, Singh had said, "I believe our collective priorities are clear. Agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children."

The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalised, Singh had said. "We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the overall resource availability," he had said.