Hisar, April 14 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress for altering the Waqf laws for appeasement politics, asserting that if the Waqf Board had operated in accordance with its original intent, Muslims in India would not have been compelled to live in poverty, performing menial jobs like fixing punctures.

He accused the Congress of modifying the Waqf regulations to serve its vote bank at the expense of the Constitution and social justice.

Speaking to a large audience in Hisar, PM Modi stated, "Congress transformed the Constitution into a tool for acquiring power. During the Emergency, the essence of the Constitution was compromised to maintain power. The Constitution advocates for a secular civil code, yet Congress has never implemented it."

He pointed to the execution of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in BJP-led Uttarakhand as an illustration of constitutional commitment.

He also criticized Congress for its stance on reservations, declaring,

"Our Constitution envisioned reservations for SC/ST and OBCs. However, Congress never bothered to ensure that the benefits reached these communities. To engage in political maneuvering and for its appeasement politics, Congress undermined the vision of Baba Saheb and introduced a law granting reservations based on religion in government contracts, even though Baba Saheb indicated that reservations should not be based on religion."

He cited the Congress-led Karnataka government's plan to provide 8 percent reservation to Muslims in government contracts as a specific example.

PM Modi accused Congress of amending the Waqf law in 2013 for electoral advantages, claiming the changes were made hastily without considering their constitutional ramifications.

"For vote bank politics, Congress modified the Waqf law and placed it above the Constitution established by Baba Saheb. This was the greatest disrespect to Baba Saheb," he asserted.

He questioned Congress' genuineness towards the Muslim community, asking, "They claim they did this for the benefit of Muslims. I want to question these vote-bank-hungry politicians - if they truly cared for Muslims, why doesn’t Congress appoint a Muslim as party president? Why don’t they allocate 50 percent of their tickets to Muslims? They are unwilling to do that but are eager to distribute 50 percent of the country’s rights."

PM Modi elaborated on the original objective of the Waqf Board, stating it was designed to uplift impoverished and marginalized Muslims, particularly women.

"Had it been utilized for its intended purpose, then today, my Muslim youth would not be compelled to spend their lives repairing punctures on bicycles. This only benefitted land mafias and not the impoverished or Pashmanda Muslims," he remarked.

He noted that numerous Muslim women had approached the central government, emphasizing the misuse of Waqf properties, which led to the modification of the law.

"According to the new Waqf law, land or property owned by any Adivasi cannot be seized by the Waqf Board. The rights of poor and Pasmanda Muslims will be recognized. This signifies genuine social justice," he added.

PM Modi also accused Congress of dishonoring national icons by failing to award them the highest civilian recognition.

"Congress did not award the Bharat Ratna to Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Chaudhary Charan Singh. Baba Saheb received the Bharat Ratna when the NDA government took office at the Centre. Simultaneously, we are proud that it was the BJP government that conferred the Bharat Ratna to Chaudhary Charan Singh," he stated.

These comments were made as PM Modi celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti by laying the foundation stone of the new terminal building at Maharaja Agrasen Airport in Hisar, Haryana, and inaugurating the flight to Ayodhya.

The launch of scheduled flights from Hisar – twice weekly to Ayodhya and thrice weekly to Jammu, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh – signifies a substantial enhancement to Haryana's aviation network.

The new terminal project, valued at over Rs 410 crore, will include a modern passenger terminal, a dedicated cargo facility, and an air traffic control building.

During this event, PM Modi paid tribute to Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, referring to it as a "Diwali" for Dalits, marginalized, and backward communities.

He also mentioned that prior to 2014, India had only 74 airports, but in the last decade, the number has surpassed 150, showcasing significant improvements in connectivity compared to the previous government’s efforts.