Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a counterattack on the Congress party after Rahul Gandhi demanded a nationwide caste census pitching for greater rights for those having a greater population. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, PM Modi accused the Congress of trying to destroy India by dividing Hindus.

“The Congress has started chanting a new tune. The Congress leaders are saying- the greater the population, the greater the rights. I am saying, that the largest population in India is of poor. If there is any largest population in this country, it is the poor. And that’s why for me the poor are the biggest population and for me, their welfare is my aim,” said Modi.

Modi further said that former PM Manmohan Singh used to say that minorities have the first right to the country’s resources and among those minorities, it’s the Muslims who have the first right to the resources. “Now Congress is saying that the population will decide the rights and share. I want to ask, does Congress want to snatch the rights of minorities? If rights are going to be decided by population, then Hindus who have the largest population should come forward to take all their rights?” asked Modi.