‘Let Muslims lie in gutters’: PM Modi quotes Rajiv Gandhi’s minister in Lok Sabha address

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During his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted former Congress leader and minister in Rajiv Gandhi govt Arif Mohammad Khan as saying in an interview that it was not the duty of their party to uplift Muslims and “if they want to lie in the gutter, let them be”.

“What one of the main Congress ministers during Shah bano case said in an interview recently is shocking. He said other Congress ministers remarked that it was not the job of the Congress to reform Muslims, ‘if they want to lie in the gutter let them be’ is what they said,” Modi said in his address.

PM Modi made the statement while replying to ‘Motion of Thanks’ on President Ram Nath Kovind’s speech to the joint session of the Parliament on June 20. During the speech, the PM slammed the Congress for opposing the Triple Talaq Bill which was re-introduced by the ruling party in the Lok Sabha.

The PM said, “The Congress has missed two opportunities on the issue of women empowerment in the past. They first missed in 1950s when Uniform Civil Code was being debated and then after 35 years when Shah Bano case came up. Now is the third chance when they can support Triple Talaq Bill”.

The PM also offered to share YouTube links of the interview in his speech.

Within hours of PM’s remark, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted Khan’s interview where he could be heard claiming that party leaders believe that it was not their role to improve the social conditions of the Muslims.

The Triple Talaq Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last week amid a huge uproar from the Opposition parties.