Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that any discrimination or violence against any community will not be tolerated.
In an interview with a news agency in Delhi, Modi said,
“Our Constitution guarantees religious freedom to every citizen and that is not negotiable. I have said this before and I say it again: any discrimination or violence against any community will not be tolerated. My position on this is very clear: Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas. We stand for every one of the 1.25 billion Indians regardless of caste or creed and we will work for the progress of every one of them. Every faith in our country has equal rights; it is equal not only before the law but also before society. My government’s focus has been on governance and development. Our focal point is clear: Vikas, Vikas, Vikas; jobs, jobs, jobs.”
Modi’s statement comes a week after 150 Muslims in the BJP ruled Haryana were driven out of their houses after communal tensions arose in the village of Atali. The PM has often been accused of being silent on the hate speeches made by some of his party leaders. In the past, BJP MPs like Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Yogi Adityanath have made comments, which commentators felt were dangerous for the social fabric of the nation.
Amongst other things, PM Modi also talked about the controversial Land Ordinance and why he thought it was pro-farmer.