Lara Dutta praises Modi's resolve on 'wealth to infiltrators' remark
Bollywood actor Lara Dutta recently voiced her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unwavering commitment to his convictions. This comes following a controversial speech by the PM, where he claimed that the Congress party had promised to distribute national wealth among "infiltrators" and "those who have more children." "At the end of the day, you have to stand by what your beliefs are," Dutta stated during an interview with Zoom Entertainment.
'You have to be true to what your truth is...'
In response to the PM's recent speech, Dutta commented, "We are all humans, at the end of the day. It is very difficult to keep all the people happy all the time. If we (actors) are not exempt from trolling, neither is the PM of this country." She emphasized, "Somewhere down the line, you have to be true to what your truth is...what you believe in. And if he has the gumption to be able to do that, kudos."
Jimmy Sheirgill, Dutta gearing up for 'Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond'
Jimmy Sheirgill, also present during the interview, further echoed Dutta's sentiments and remarked, "If you're born in this country, you're born with that patriotism. If you're not, then you have to do a reality check on yourself." The two actors made these statements while promoting their upcoming patriotic series Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond, which is set to be released on JioCinema on Thursday (April 25).
What did Modi say?
Modi made these contentious remarks during a political rally in Rajasthan. He stated, "When they (Congress) were in power, they'd said Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation. This means they'll distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators." This was a reference to a 2006 statement made by ex-PM Manmohan Singh, who mentioned, "We'll have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority,...have the first claim on resources."
BJP stood by Modi's comments, opposition parties criticized him
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stood by Modi's comments, with spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia arguing that the PM was merely expressing public sentiment. Bhatia criticized the opposition for their discomfort as Modi had exposed their past. However, these remarks drew criticism from opposition parties who accused Modi of attempting to incite communal division for electoral gains. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor described the speech as "disgraceful" and a "nakedly communal appeal."
History of Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh
At another election rally, Modi claimed that the Congress sought to introduce religion-based reservations for Muslims. He alleged that one of Congress's initial actions upon forming a government in 2004 was "reducing the SC/ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh." The proposal for Muslim reservations in AP was first introduced in 1993-1994 by the Congress-led government. In 2004, Congress pledged a 5% quota for Muslims. However—due to opposition—it was reduced to 4% and was granted based on economic backwardness, not religion.
