CPI (M) lodges police complaint against PM Modi over 'wealth redistribution to Muslims' remark

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Tuesday filed a police complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent remarks suggesting that if the Congress came back to power, it will give wealth of people to Muslims.
According to Karat, the PM's speech violated Indian laws against inciting communal violence and hate speech.However, Karat expressed frustration that her complaint was initially refused at a local police station, forcing her to send it directly to the Police Commissioner of Delhi.
"I have written a complaint and cited certain sections of the penal code of India and I have filed a Police complaint and it is really shocking that the Police station refused to accept the complaint and I had to send the complaint to the Police Commissioner of Delhi," Karat said.
"The Prime Minister is a citizen of India. The Prime Minister is not above the citizens of India. The Prime Minister is not above the law of India. The Prime Minister has to accept the laws of India. When the Prime Minister violates the laws of India which are against spreading enmity between communities, against spreading hatred between a community, he should be taken to task by the law," Karat added.
Describing PM Modi's speech as "almost unbelievable" for a leader of a secular nation like India, CPI(M) leader said, "It is an absolutely shocking statement coming from the Prime Minister. It is almost unbelievable that the Prime Minister of a secular country like India should speak in words, quite frankly, he speaks as though a communal bigot speech. It is not befitting the Prime Minister of India. In the elections, to use such language, a) It is hate speech, extreme hate speech."
Further Karat also accused the Election Commission of India for its inaction against Prime Minister and question about the institution's credibility.
"The Election Commission's role in this is completely shocking. What is the credibility of the Election Commission if they don't take action against the Prime Minister?" she said.
Karat's reaction came a day after PM Modi said that Congress's manifesto suggests taking 'the gold of mothers and sisters' and redistribution of wealth with 'people with more children' and 'infiltrators'.
"Their Mangalsutra, the question is not of the cost of gold in it, it is linked to her dreams of her life. You are talking of snatching it in your manifesto...will distribute gold and redistribute. When it was their government, they had said that Muslims have the first right over the country's wealth. Who will you distribute after collecting the wealth, distribute it to those who have more children, and distribute it to infiltrators," he said at a rally on April 21.
PM Modi was referring to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks made in December 2006 that the minorities should have first claim on the country's resources.