"If Muslims Want To Lie In Gutter, Let Them Be": PM Quotes Former Union minister To Attack Congress

Modi quoted a former minister in the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government as saying in an interview that its leaders claimed that it was not the duty of their party to uplift Muslims and "if they want to lie in gutter let them be".

**EDS: TV GRAB** New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha, at Parliament in New Delhi, Tuesday, June 25, 2109. (LSTV/PTI Photo) (PTI6_25_2019_000156B)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack at the Congress party, alleging it of being negligent towards the upliftment of Muslim community, while replying to the Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to Parliament. Modi quoted a former minister in the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government as saying in an interview that its leaders claimed that it was not the duty of their party to uplift Muslims and "if they want to lie in gutter let them be". Modi was referring to former Union Cabinet Minister Arif Mohammad Khan’s interview to ABP News for the show Pradhan Mantri. His remarks drew sharp protests from the Congress, prompting Modi to say he will send them a YouTube link of the interview. Later, Arif Mohammad Khan came forward and confirmed Prime Minister’s claim. He said he had quoted Narsimha Rao’s statement in the interview. Khan said, “PM has referred to my interview, to give a message that for how long any section of the people, I am not talking about any particular community, will allow itself to be deceived by power-wielders. It is a clear cut message.” Around 6-7 years ago, during a TV interview, I was asked whether any pressure was brought upon me to take back my resignation (in connection with Shah Bano case). I told them after resigning, I disappeared from my house, he told to news agency ANI. "I further said, next morning at Parliament, I met Arun Singh who repeatedly told me I was correct morally but this would cause a lot of inconvenience to the Party. Mr Narishma Rao told me "tum bahut ziddi ho. Shah Bano ne bhi apna stand badal liya hai,” he said. Khan had said that leaders like PV Narasimha Rao and some other  ministers in the government were of the opinion that it was not the job of the Congress party to reform Muslims. In his address today, Prime Minister was unsparing in his criticism of the Congress, and targeted it for not recognising the contributions of leaders outside the Gandhi-Nehru family. He also targeted the party for missing opportunities to empower Muslim women and "crushing India's soul" by imposing Emergency, whose anniversary fell on Tuesday. Congress has missed many chances to empower Muslim women and it has got one more opportunity, PM said, in a reference to the triple talaq bill.