What Dr Manmohan Singh Said On "First Claim On Resources" In 2006

While speaking at an election rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made claims about the Congress party planning to give wealth of the people to Muslims after a survey, referring to the Congress manifesto. Mr Modi has also mentioned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said that the later had made the claims of about “Muslims’ first right to the wealth of the people”.

“They are saying they will do a survey of the gold belonging to mothers and sisters, and they will redistribute it. Manmohan Singh ji had said Muslims have the first right on our wealth,” PM Modi said in his election speech on Sunday.

These comments have caused a huge uproar, and opposition leaders have said PM Modi is back to spewing hate speech and this is high time the Elections Commission of India should act.

There have been several fact checks on BJP’s claims about former Prime Minister of Congress-led UPA government making “Muslims’ first right to the wealth of the people” comment.

The Prime Minister’s Office itself had refuted the claims on December 06, 2006.

According to the PMO, Dr Singh had said this:

“I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalized. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the over-all resource availability.”

The PMO said that the Prime Minister”s reference to “first claim on resources” refers to all the “priority” areas listed above, including programmes for the upliftment of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and children and minorities.

“It may also be noted that these observations of the Prime Minister were made after referring to the very good performance of the Indian economy in recent months, and the expectation that the economy would continue to do well, creating new income and employment opportunities for all sections of society. While better off sections of society will benefit from this process, it is the responsibility of the Government to pay special attention to the welfare of weaker and marginalized sections. The Prime Minister has said on several occasions that “India must shine, but shine for all”,” the PMO statement added.

Dr Singh was speaking at the 52nd meeting of the National Development Council in Delhi.