BJP has hit back hard at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi after an Urdu newspaper Daily Inquilab reported that Rahul had termed Congress as a “Muslim party”. Rahul Gandhi is reported to have said so during a meeting with ‘Muslim intellectuals’ on July 11th.
The newspaper clipping had gone viral on social media earlier.
Urdu daily Inqalab has quoted Rahul Gandhi saying “Yes Congress is a Muslim party”. Is the quote correct or party will contradict it?
Muslims don’t want a Muslim party, they want a National Secular party, which doesn’t discriminate between citizens. @RahulGandhi @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/ZBwJ8qGcou— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) July 12, 2018
Taking cognizance of the social media posts and the report in Urdu media, today BJP attacked Congress saying that the party was trying to fight 2019 elections based on religion.
“Rahul Gandhi should clarify his statements and repeat it in public if he said it,” senior BJP leader and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanded in a press conference. She added that this statement exposed the mindset of Congress.
Sitaraman further suggested that this statement by Rahul Gandhi should be seen in conjunction with ‘Hindu Pakistan’ statement by Shashi Tharoor and support of Sharia Courts by Congress leaders. She also recalled how Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister had talked about Muslims having the first right on resources.
Sitaraman further aggravated the attack on Congress by claiming that such tactics by Rahul Gandhi’s party will lead India to another partition. She said that if there are any communal flagellations in India from now on till 2019 elections, Congress will be solely responsible for it.
She also said that the term “Hindu terror” which was coined during the UPA regime also appeared a part of this communal agenda in retrospect. “Did you coin the term ‘Hindu terror’ so that you can later claim yourself as a Muslim party?” Nirmala Sitharam asked Rahul Gandhi.
The fiery BJP leader also slammed Congress for creating fear mongering that BJP will change the constitution. She recounted how Congress had changed the constitution several times and even changed the preamble and structure during Emergency.
