The Opposition hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday for his remarks that the mention of the word 'cow' raises hackles of some people, saying he should talk about the economy instead and be alarmed when people are killed in the name of cow.
The prime minister, while speaking at an event in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura earlier in the day, said it is unfortunate that the moment the words 'Om' and 'cow' fall on the ears of some people in the country, they "get alarmed (baal khadhe ho jaate hai)".
"They feel as if the country has gone back to the 16th-17th century. This type of knowledge has only been used by people hell-bent on damaging the country and they have left no stone unturned to do so," Modi said, without naming anyone.
The Congress slammed the prime minister for the remarks, alleging that it was an attempt to "divert and digress" from the state of the economy.
"I find him today speaking not on the economy but on 'cow and Om'. Somebody else speaks on how the Congress is doing. Is that the answer to the economy which I am raising, that is exactly divert, digress -- two Ds," Singhvi said.
Speaking in similar vein, CPI general secretary D Raja asked why the prime minister was raising issues of 'Om' and 'cow' when he should be talking about the state of the economy.
"He is saying this at a time when in the name of cow and God, mob lynchings are happening unabated across the country. He should behave as the PM of this country, must speak on real issues and address unemployment instead of attacking the Opposition," he told PTI.
Asked about the Prime Minister's remarks, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Assaduddin Owaisi said that the people not only hear 'Om' and 'cow' in India but also the call for prayers from mosques, voices from the Gurdwara and bells from churches.
"You (The PM) should get alarmed when people are being killed in the name of cow. The PM should get alarmed when Constitution is blatantly violated.
"We expect our prime minister to get alarmed that 'what is happening in my country' when Tabrez, Pehlu Khan or Akhlaq (alleged victims of lynch mobs) are killed," he told TV channels.
Nationalist Congress Party MP Majeed Memon said Modi is the prime minister of a secular country and he should not refer to religious matters too often.
"He is not a dharam guru... the PM must make it very clear that 'I as the head of the government would not tolerate anybody, in the name of religion, in the name of Om or cow, taking law in their hands'," Memon said.
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