Hisar/Yamunanagar, April 14 (IANS) Taking a dig at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused it of appeasement politics, challenged it to appoint a Muslim party President and criticised its opposition to the amended Waqf Act saying that the new provisions honours the sanctity of Waqf and also ensuried the rights of poor.

“If the party truly cared for the Muslim community, they would have appointed a Muslim as their party president or allocated 50 per cent of their tickets to Muslim candidates,” said PM Modi at a public meeting in Hisar city, stating that their intentions were never aligned with the genuine welfare of Muslims, exposing their true nature.

Highlighting the vast tracts of land under Waqf, meant to benefit the poor, destitute women and children, were instead exploited by a handful of land mafias, PM Modi said these mafias were encroaching on lands belonging to Dalits, backward classes, and tribals, leaving the Pasmanda Muslim community without any benefits.

He mentioned that amendments to the Waqf Act will put an end to such exploitation, emphasizing a significant new provision in the amended law, ensuring that tribal lands cannot be touched by Waqf boards.

He described this as a major step in protecting tribal interests.

The new provisions will honor the sanctity of Waqf, ensuring that the rights of poor and Pasmanda Muslim families, women, and children are upheld, he said in his public address after launching the first commercial flight from Hisar to Ayodhya and laying the foundation stone of terminal-2 building at the Maharaja Agrasen Airport in Hisar that is expected to be completed within two years.

The airport terminal will be built at an estimated cost of over Rs 410 crore and is part of PM Modi’s vision to make air travel safer, more affordable, and accessible to all.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, along with several state ministers, attended the event.

While addressing his second back-to-back rally after laying the foundation stone of the 800 MW thermal power plant unit and compressed biogas plant by pressing the button from the stage in Yamunanagar, PM Modi said, “There is a clear contrast between BJP-ruled states and those governed by the Congress. In Karnataka, the Congress government has imposed multiple taxes on the people, increasing their financial burden. Even their own ministers have admitted that Congress has made Karnataka number one in corruption.”

In Telangana, he said, the Congress has already begun forgetting the promises they made to the public. “Their actions, such as bulldozing forest land and damaging the environment, show a complete disregard for nature.”

Haryana currently produces 16,000 MW of electricity, and this is expected to increase to 24,000 MW. “On the one hand, we are investing in thermal power plants, and on the other, we are empowering people to become power generators themselves,” PM Modi said.

“Through the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, people can reduce their electricity bills to zero by installing solar panels. They can even sell the surplus electricity back to the grid. So far, over 1.25 crore households have registered under this scheme,” he said.

Paying tribute to Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar and recalling his guiding mantras, PM Modi stated that Babasaheb had said the development of industries “is a path to social justice”. He believed that since Dalits do not possess sufficient land, they would benefit from industrial development.

The PM said, “Babasaheb also worked closely with India’s first Industry Minister, Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee, in this regard. Even Chaudhary Sir Chhotu Ram stated that when farmers earn additional income through small industries, it leads to prosperity in villages. Similarly, Chaudhary Charan Singh, who dedicated his life to the upliftment of villages and farmers, believed that industrial development and agriculture should complement each other.”

PM Modi said the BJP government in Haryana now procures 24 crops at minimum support price (MSP). “Farmers have also greatly benefited from the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, with claims worth over Rs 9,000 crore already disbursed under the scheme. Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 6,500 crore has been directly transferred to the accounts of farmers in Haryana,” he added.

–IANS

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