Charging the Congress with “Muslim appeasement” and “insulting Hindus”, the BJP on Wednesday quoted Maharashtra Minister Ashok Chavan’s comments on installation of a non-BJP coalition Government in the State to say the party should be termed “Muslim League Congress”.
Citing Chavan’s reported remarks that the Congress joined hands with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as Muslims also wanted the party to stop the BJP from coming to power, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Congress of betraying interests of Hindus and appeasing Muslims.
“The Congress leader says they joined the Government for Muslims. What is the sin of Hindus, Sikhs and others. The Congress has insulted Hindus and this comment has exposed it,” the BJP leader claimed.
At his press conference Patra referred to comments of many opposition leaders, including those from AIMIM, to allege that they were “abusing” Hindus in the name of anti-CAA protests and sought apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP’s Sharad Pawar.
Patra also drew attention to the reported comments of AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, whose brother Asaduddin Owaisi heads the party that Muslims ruled over the country for eight centuries to refer to him as Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder
For his part, Union Minister Giriraj Singh reacted saying, “Wo Mughal lutere thay. Aap Bharat ko darane ka kaam na karein. Jinnah ke raaste par na chalein, Bharatvanshi ab jaag chuke hain.”
Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s reported jibe at the RSS for its “non-participation” in the freedom movement, Patra shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India’s independence struggle.
The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party’s full name, should be called “Muslim League Congress”. The Congress does “Muslim appeasement” for the community’s votes but has never done any good for it, he claimed.
Pointing to a report in an Urdu daily, Patra said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had once described his party as a “party of Muslims” and its leaders coined terms like saffron terror. Since 1946, Patra claimed the Congress has done “Muslim vote bank politics”.