Ansari remarks expose Congress' 'Muslim League, Maoist' character: BJP

The BJP on Monday attacked the Congress over former vice president Hamid Ansari's remarks on former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's views on "Hindu right-wing communalism", alleging that they exposed the opposition party's "Muslim League, Maoist" character.

Ansari, speaking at an event at the India Islamic Cultural Centre on Saturday to commemorate late constitutional expert and author A G Noorani, had referred to Nehru's view that "the real danger to India was not communism, but Hindu right-wing communalism".

The observation is cited in Noorani's 2019 book, The RSS: A Menace to India.

Addressing a press conference, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Ansari's remarks showed that the Congress had become "Muslim League Maoist Congress in totality".

Trivedi claimed the remarks also indicated that Nehru considered communism a threat, while alleging that the Congress had now moved towards the "ultra-left".

"Today, the Congress has gone ultra-left. It has taken a dive into communism, which Nehru considered a threat," he said.

He accused the Congress of repeating "the same mistake it made 100 years ago" and said its leaders should read Nehru's writings before invoking his views.

Trivedi also criticised Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his "Chhatron Ki Goonj" youth outreach programme in Indore.

Responding to a question on the event, he questioned whether Gandhi was qualified to continue as Leader of Opposition, calling it a "yaksha prashna" or a crucial question.

"He has demeaned the post of leader of opposition, compromising grace and gravitas for clownish caricature. In simple Hindi, he has descended to 'jokarai' (buffoonery)," Trivedi said.

At the Indore event on Saturday, Gandhi had said only students could drive hatred out of the country and not "Andhbhakts", a term commonly used by BJP critics for supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.