Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent comment about “Rajas and Maharajas taking away lands,” stating that Rahul Gandhi ignores the atrocities committed by Muslim emperors and his statement was aimed at appeasing a certain vote bank. PM Modi made these remarks during a public meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka, on Sunday.
PM Modi tore into Rahul Gandhi, saying, “The Shehzada of the Congress said recently that our Rajas and Maharajas back in the day were ruthless. They snatched or took away the humble assets of the poor at their whim. The Shehzada insulted the revered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rani Chennamma, whose good governance and patriotism still fill us with national pride and honour. Does he not have any knowledge of the contribution of the royal family of Mysuru who we all regard very highly and are proud of?”
He accused Rahul Gandhi of staying silent on the excesses committed by Muslim rulers and said, “The Shehzada was carefully calibrated, on purpose, to appease a certain vote bank. He did not utter a single word on the atrocities committed by the Nawabs, Nizams, Sultans, and Badhshahs (on their peasants). The Congress seems to have forgotten the grave excesses perpetrated by (Mughal emperor) Aurangzeb, who destroyed thousands of our temples.”
PM Modi highlighted the contributions of Hindu rulers, accusing Rahul Gandhi of focusing solely on his vote bank. He mentioned Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rani Chennamma as examples of revered figures whose contributions Rahul Gandhi allegedly overlooked.
Regarding the law and order situation in Karnataka, PM Modi criticized the Congress government, citing a recent incident in Hubballi where a Congress corporator’s daughter was murdered. PM Modi accused the Congress of prioritizing appeasement over justice and not valuing the lives of young women like Neha Hiremath, the victim in the Hubballi case.
Neha Hiremath, a first-year MCA student, was stabbed to death on the BVB College campus on April 18. The accused, Fayaz Khondunaik, was arrested after fleeing the scene.