PM Narendra Modi spoke to BJP party MPs today (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about peace, harmony and unity at a meeting of BJP MPs this morning, saying that these values were necessary for the nation's vikas (development). Describing vikas as his party's "mantra", the Prime Minister also called on party leaders to ensure the values were practiced and followed throughout the country.
"Vikas is our mantra. Peace, unity and harmony are prerequisites for development, but some people play political games and live for their parties. We live for the country," the Prime Minister told his parliamentarians, echoing accusations made by Home Minister Amit Shah in Bengal this week as the BJP looks to deflect opposition allegations over the government's conduct during the violence.
The Prime Minister's comments came after horrific violence tore through parts of Delhi this week, killing more than 40 people and leaving hundreds injured. Days after the violence PM Modi made his first public statement, calling for "peace and brotherhood".
A petition filed in the Delhi High Court last week alleged that speeches by BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra, Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma had encouraged violence.
The petition called for FIRs to be filed against these leaders.
Last week a two-member bench of the Delhi High Court headed by Justice S Muralidhar, who was transferred later the same day, criticised the cops over delay in filing the FIRs. The court, which initially gave the cops 24 hours to act, revised its deadline the following day and a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde gave them four weeks.
The violence, which began as clashes between rival groups over the controversial citizenship law, quickly went out of control after armed goons defied police orders to rampage unchecked through the streets of northeast Delhi.
Shops, schools and homes were burnt as thugs terrorised residents for four days before Delhi Police, heavily criticised for their slow reaction, managed to get things under control.
The citizenship law has been criticised as discriminating against Muslims and violating secular tenets of the Constitution. The government says it will help non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious persecution.
Yesterday the opposition targeted PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah - to whom Delhi Police reports - over the violence, with notices served in both houses of parliament.
In the Lok Sabha, which was adjourned thrice, slogan-shouting members of the opposition were seen waving posters demanding the Prime Minister's resignation.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, charged that the Central government "slept" as violence rocked Delhi.
Meanwhile, in his speech PM Modi also took a swipe at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without naming him, saying the senior Congress leader was reluctant to chant slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".
The Prime Minister's comment came after Manmohan Singh said nationalism and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogans were being misused to construct a "militant and purely emotional" idea of India that excluded millions of residents and citizens.