New Delhi: The BJP, on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on the Congress calling it “Muslim League Congress” citing multiple recent examples to accuse the party of being Hindu phobic and Muslim appeaser.
Basing its argument on two Maharashtra leaders — Congress’s Ashok Chavan and its ally NCP’s Jitendra Awadh, the BJP tore into both. Party Spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference to allege, “Two days ago, Ashok Chavan said – ‘We formed the government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena on the appeal of our Muslim brothers. Muslims were saying that BJP is their prime enemy. Thus, we should make the government with Shiv Sena to keep them out of power.’ This is nothing but an appeasing statement from the former CM”.
He further alleged that Chavan’s statement proves that Congress forms government after “consulting Muslims”. “Does this mean the Congress forms government asking the Muslims and Muslims only? Do they not care about the Hindus or the other communities?,” Patra asked.
Training his guns at Congress ally NCP, the BJP hit out at the controversial statement of its leader. “NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said: ‘Muslims can say where their forefathers were engraved but Hindus won’t be able to tell where the last rites of their forefathers took place.’ This is so demeaning. What form of politics is this?,” remarked the BJP spokesperson.
Next on BJP’s line of attack on alleged Hindu phobia was Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Owaisi junior is known for his communal rants. The BJP said, “Yesterday, Akbaruddin Owaisi gave another remark, ‘Why are we asked what Muslims have? We’ve ruled over this country for over 800 years. There is an imprint of ours on every part of the country.’ Whose question was this,” asked Patra.
The BJP even went on to allege other political parties which it thinks are trying to spread falsehood over the CAA and the NPR across the country. Patra accused the Congress of abusing Hindus using these protests.
“The Congress party should be renamed from Indian National Congress to MLC – Muslim League Congress,” was BJP’s unequivocal statement at a press conference here.
He went on to link the top leadership of the Congress with the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organisation which is demanded to be banned in many states. “Six people from the PFI were arrested in Karnataka. It is the same organization that has, in the past, been supported by both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. PFI was plotting to kill RSS and BJP people,” Patra remarked.
It was an all out blistering attack on the Congress and its allies and leadership, taking out instances of senior leader Kapil Sibal’s statement on May 16, 2017 on the Supreme Court, to instances of a youth Congress leader killing a cow on the Kerala street on May 17, 2017, to paint it not just Hindu-phobic but sternly anti-Hindu outfit.
The sharp attack came just ahead of Delhi elections on February 8, where the Congress is a major player.