In the backdrop of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh meeting Muslim clerics in lucknow recently in order to garner their support ahead of the lok Sabha polls, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday dubbed the saffron party’s ‘initiative’ to reach out to the community as a big win for democracy.
“It is a big victory for democracy in the country that Rajnath Singh and BJP’s prime ministerial nominee, Narendra Modi had been forced to talk about Muslims,” he told reporters after casting his vote here in the second phase of the lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh.
Further attacking Modi, the veteran Congress leader said that if he (Modi) believed in punishing the corrupt after victory in the elections then why did his cabinet include people like Babubhai Bokadia who has been sentenced to jail for three years by a court.
Bokadia is convicted by a sessions court in a case of illegal mining.
Digvijay said that this election was a direct fight between two ideologies. “One that believed in Gandhian non-violence and the other that of Guruji Golwalkar which stood for communal violence in the name of religion,” he said.
He also claimed that there was no wave in favour of Narendra Modi in the country and said it was a “media creation”, which will die down when results are declared on May 16.
Even during the 2004 and 2009 lok Sabha elections, the BJP had spoken about a wave in its favour. This time also the result would be the same, he said. “I am sure the next government in the country would be formed under the leadership of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi,” Digvijay added.
On Monday, Rajnath Singh, who is contesting the lok Sabha elections from lucknow, which has a sizable Muslim population, including Shias, held meetings with vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal law Board Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, Maulana Hameeudul Hassan, Maulana Yasoob Abbas and Maulana Khalid Rasheed along with sitting MP lalji Tandon and Mayor Dinesh Sharma, raising a few eyebrows.
Soon after, the Congress had accused the BJP of seeking votes on communal lines, a charge that was rubbished by Tandon, who said it was a courtesy visit.