Hindus, Muslims should fight poverty, not each other: PM Modi on Dadri lynching

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Oct 8, 2015: Under pressure from all quarters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday broke his silence on Dadri incident and said the fight should be against poverty and not against each other.

The remarks came a day after President Pranab Mukherjee raised concerns over the incidents of communal tensions in the country. In a gruesome incident, 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched following rumours that his family has consumed beef in Bishada village of Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

 

While addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Nawada, Modi said, "Hindus and Muslims should work together to fight poverty and not against each other. The country has to stay united. Only communal harmony and brotherhood will take the nation forward."

Modi asked people to ignore controversial statements made by politicians and said that they are doing so for political gains.

Appealing to people to follow path shown by the President, Modi said, "Follow President Pranab Mukherjee’s message on core civilisational values of diversity, tolerance and plurality."

On Wednesday, the President had said that core values of India’s civilisation must be maintained. "Core values of diversity, tolerance and plurality must be kept in mind, we cannot allow these values of India’s civilisation to be given a slip," he had said.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party cracked the whip on its leaders asking them to refrain from making any provocative statements on the Dadri incident. According to the sources, the party has instructed that only the MLA and MP of the area should visit the area.

Akhlaq was beaten to death by a mob on September 28 night after a public announcement from the local temple that a calf had been slaughtered and his family had eaten beef. His 22-year-old son Danish who was also attacked.