PM Modi Should Have Refrained From Making Political Speech At Belur Math: Opposition

Opposition parties have slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising issues like Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and criticising opposition parties during his at Belur Math in Kolkata on Sunday. The opposition parties said that PM Modi has forgotten to differentiate between a spiritual place and a rally out of desperation to implement the ‘divisive’ new Citizenship law. The Trinamool Congress, CPI (M) and the Congress said that the prime minister should have “spared the holy land of Belur Math from his divisive politics”.

The opposition claimed that the nationwide protests against the new Citizenship Law have cornered the Centre and this forced PM Modi to use the platform to make a political speech.

“He should not have turned Belur Math into a venue of a political rally. There is some decorum in politics and public life, we need to maintain it,” Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

“It only proves the desperation of the Centre and that it is on the backfoot after countrywide anti-CAA protests. We condemn such cheap politics at a religious place like Belur Math. The people of India will never accept CAA,” said Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee.

CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim was hopeful that the monks of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission would condemn PM Modi’s “political speech” at Belur Math.

The Ramakrishna Mission too distanced itself from PM Modi's speech. "We are above politics and cannot comment on Prime Minister's speech,” Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission general secretary Swami Suvirananda said.

"We have responded to the call of the eternal to come to the order leaving our homes. We can't respond to ephemeral call... Our organisation has monks from Hindu, Islam, and Christian (faiths),” he added.

While addressing a programme in Belur Math on Sunday, the prime minister had strongly defended the CAA, saying that the dispute that has arisen over it has made the world aware of the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.

Responding to the allegations made by the opposition parties, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said the CPI(M) and Congress should stop “lecturing on right and wrong”.

“CPI(M), which is a party of atheists, is lecturing us on Belur Math? The CPI(M) and Congress have no right to lecture us on what is right and wrong,” he asserted.

With Agency Inputs