While campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lied in order to attack the Congress while delivering a speech in Sikar district on Tuesday, November 24. In a veiled reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Alwar earlier in the day, PM Modi reportedly said that the Congress had issued a “fatwa” that “I should not begin rallies with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai'”.
Congress has come up with a "fatwa" that I should not begin rallies with "Bharat Mata Ki Jai"… How can they deny this? They must be ashamed of even saying such a thing. This shows their disrespect for our motherland: PM @narendramodi in Sikar#RajasthanElections pic.twitter.com/X9q23rgmAO
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) December 4, 2018
Building upon his lie, the prime minister even said, “This shows their (Congress’) disrespect for our motherland.”
However, Gandhi, in his Alwar speech, had said this:
#WATCH: Rahul Gandhi in Alwar Rajasthan: PM Modi says 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' before every speech, he should instead say 'Anil Ambani ki jai, Mehul Choksi ki jai, Nirav Modi ki jai, Lalit Modi ki jai'. If you talk of Bharat Mata then how can you forget our farmers? pic.twitter.com/f1R6Sxz5iR
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018
Gandhi clearly is calling out the PM over allegations of crony-capitalism that have been levelled against the BJP government at the centre. Gandhi says that the PM begins every speech with ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ but works only of industrialists like Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi. Gandhi concludes that since this is the case, the PM should begin his speeches with ‘Anil Ambani ki jai, Mehul Choksi ki jai, Nirav Modi ki Jai’.
However, the PM Modi conveniently overlooked the references to Ambani, Choksi and Nirav Modi and instead blatantly lied about Gandhi’s original remark. Not only this, the PM also added communal colour to the issue by using of the word ‘fatwa’ to refer to Gandhi’s statement.