Hitting out at Muslim clerics for issuing fatwa in favour of RlD candidate Tabassum Hasan in Kairana, state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey said that the opposition was dejected and it has started taking the help of religion to influence voters.
“This is a deplorable attempt by a party to influence voters of a particular religion. Polarisation on religious lines is like an ugly wart on Indian democracy,” Pandey said in a statement issued in lucknow on Friday.
Attacking the Samajwadi Party, he said that Akhilesh Yadav fielded a SP leader on RlD ticket as the SP was directly involved in Muzaffarnagar riots.
“To avoid peoples’ ire , the SP brass has used RlD as `shikandi’ and is playing its politics through remote control. If it is not true, then why did Akhilesh not campaign in Kairana election IJ He knows that the people will ask him as to why he airlifted a riot accused to lucknow to have a discussion. People will ask why traders of a particular religious belief were forced to flee and criminals from other religion were patronised,” he asked.
Pandey said that at that time, RlD leaders too criticized SP leaders and now they are dancing to Akhilesh Yadav’s tunes.
“In Yogi Raaj, law and order has improved. Cane arrears have been cleared. Employment opportunities have been opened for educated youth. People are recognizing the government’s efforts which will have its impact in the bypolls,” said the state BJP president.