PM Narendra Modi calls Dadri lynching "unfortunate and undesirable"

KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a second significant intervention in the political debate on the Dadri incident and its aftermath, saying what happened was "unfortunate and undesirable". The PM described incidents in Mumbai that included the cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's concert in the same terms, criticising "the protest against the Pakistani singer".

Modi had intervened in the Dadri debate — in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, a person was lynched by a mob for allegedly storing beef, the incident happened a fortnight back — in a campaign speech in Bihar last week, where he had asked everyone to follow President Pranab Mukherjee's advice and work together. We must fight poverty, not each other, the PM had said in the speech.

Wednesday's comments came when the PM spoke to a vernacular daily. "Dadri incident and the protest against Pakistani singer are unfortunate and undesirable," the PM said.


Modi also said the Opposition and others are refusing to accept that there's no central government role in these incidents and that many parties critical of him wanted to use such incidents to "polarise communities" and use minorities as a "vote bank". The Opposition did not relent in its critique after the PM's statement, and the Shiv Sena, an ally of BJP, was equally critical. Sena called PM's statement unfortunate. "What is unfortunate is the PM's statement. The country and the world knew of Modi's leadership skills and (his adherence to) strong Hindutva after Godhra. "Everyone knew after those incidents that he was nationalistic and he fought for Hindutva," said Sena's spokesperson Sanjay Raut.

Raut also said: "It is his compulsion as he is the PM…If he was just Narendra Modi then he would not have been making such statements." Sena's threats had led to the cancellation of the Ghulam Ali concert in Mumbai although the state's BJP government was in favour of holding the event.

Congress said, "It is not posturing that is needed but concrete action." The party also said Modi is "the prime minister of the entire country" and that he should remember it. NCP leader Sharad Pawar said the PM's statements came late and "there should be sensitivity". "He (Modi), as the PM, should co-ordinate with the state and ask them whether they need more forces. There should be sensitivity, he should take cognisance (of such incidents)," Pawar said.

ET View: Now Put a Firm Lid On It

The PM was charged of keeping mum after Dadri. He has now clearly stated that the Dadri murder and disallowing Ghulam Ali to perform in Mumbai were "unfortunate" adding that "the BJP never supports such incidents". Not all his critics are satisfied, reading the utterances as a defence of his party, thereby the PM playing rank politician. But they, too, should recognise that a tu-tu mein-mein stemming from the PM's comments can only help, not dent, those who wish to keep the communal pot boiling. On its part, the BJP must now lead the way in silencing communally polarising voices within its own fold for other parties to follow.