The ruling Congress in Assam has dug up the ghost of 2002 Gujarat riots to criticise the BJP on Saturday by publishing advertisements in some of the local newspapers in Assam showing one of the victims of Gujarat riot and asking if this is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s developments mean.
The advertisement in some vernacular newspapers carried a photograph of one of the riot victims, Qutubuddin Ansari, praying for help. The advertisement also carried a caption, “Is this what development meansIJ Do you want Assam to become like thisIJ”
Congress spokesman Rituparna Dutta said, “We wanted to show the people of Assam how the BJP has resorted to politics of fear and politics of vendetta in Gujarat in the past. We are showing the true colour of BJP through the advertisements,” he said.
Assam BJP spokesperson Bijan Mahajan, however, slammed the Congress and said it is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission of India. “It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and breach of Section 153 A and 295 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The advertisement also violates the Section 125 of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951,” Mahajan said while appealing to the EC to take action against those who published this.