Modi sights ‘Opposition in Mujra for vote bank’

Modi claims ‘Opposition in Mujra for vote bank’ as LS poll reaches climax

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, May 25: On a day the polling for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections was held, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Opposition of doing “Mujra for vote bank”. The Opposition hit back, saying that the prime minister has taken the public discourse to the gutter.

Modi addressed three rallies in Bihar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is up against the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections.

“If the INDI Alliance has to do slavery for the vote bank, it can do. They want to do Mujra in front of them, then they can do. I stand firm for the reservation of the SCs, STs, and the OBCs. As long as I am around, I will keep fighting for the reservation for the SCs, STs, and the OBCs,” said Modi in his rally in Bihar.

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Mujra is an Urdu word for the dance of the prostitutes. Hindi films have mainstreamed the Mujra vocabulary in popular discourse for describing perverse behavioour.

The prime minister on Saturday addressed rallies in Karakat, Buxar, and Patliputra in Bihar. The BJP ally, Upendra Kushwaha, is locked in a stiff poll battle in the Karakat parliamentary constituency.

The 26-second-long video clip of Modi’s Mujra barb against the Opposition unleashed a meme fest on the social media platforms. The memes portrayed the characters from the media and the Opposition.

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By stating that the Opposition parties are indulging in the politics of vote bank, the prime minister once more reiterated his narrative against the Congress on reservation for Muslims. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and the Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha told reporters in Patna that he was shocked at the level of the utterances by the prime minister. “Is this the level of the prime minister’s public discourse? I am now worried for him. Macchli, Mutton, Mangalsutra, and now Mujra. I think he should see a doctor,” Jha told reporters.

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The RJD leader shared a list that listed 26 Muslim castes in Gujarat being given the benefits of reservation. “Modi ji, the history will not forgive you. In leisure, you should reflect, and you will be worried,” said Jha.

The Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in an election rally also hit out at the prime minister. She referred to Modi’s Bihar speech, and accused him of disgracing the public discourse.

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Modi in his attacks on the Opposition has so far mentioned “machchli (fish), Mutton, Mangalsutra, and Mujra”. The RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav had shared a picture of relishing fish in a chopper with the leader of the Vikashsheel Insan Party Mukesh Sahni, who comes from the fishermen community.

Yadav had posted the picture during Navratra. Modi had mentioned ‘Mangalsutra’ to claim that the Congress, if the Opposition party came to power, will take away the prized possession of the women to give away to others.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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