The 2014 election discourse has within a matter of a week descended from its focus on issues of development and corruption to talk of a yet to be constructed temple, a razed mosque, cow slaughter, inflammatory appeals to the electorate to avenge insults and threats to chop political opponents to pieces.
The electoral arena has also shifted to the Election Commission (EC), with both the Congress and BJP lodging complaints with the poll panel accusing each other of inciting religious polarisation. Neither, however, have been inclined to apologise or explain conduct of their leaders and candidates and have been more willing to ride the wave of controversy as the election days draw nearer.
Yesterday, the BJP approached the EC asking it to prohibit news portal Cobrapost to disseminate its sting on Ramjanmabhoomi issue as it was likely to cause “communal polarisation”. Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged the sting was Congress sponsored. "It is by Congress-post, not Cobrapost," he said.
Two day ago Shah had spoken of the current election being an opportunity to take "revenge for the insult" during the violence in Muzaffarnagar last year. Shah had said, “In Uttar Pradesh, especially western UP, it is an election for honour. It is an election to take revenge for the insult. It an election to teach a lesson to those who have committed injustice.”
The BJP today defended Shah. Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Shah captured the “mood of the nation” and was asking the people to vote for the party and Modi. She said it was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who had tried to polarize the elections by her appeal to Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid.
"There has been lot of discussion on what Amit Shah has said in a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar. He actually captured the mood of nation," said she, adding Sonia Gandhi also sought vote on religious grounds. “The attempt of polarizing the vote was initiated by the so-called secular parties. We see nothing wrong in Amit Shah's statement," she said, adding that even UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been heard seeking votes on religious grounds.
Congress party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, slammed both Shah and the BJP MLA Suresh Rana accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots, for "stoking communal fire”. The party has demanded that Shah be arrested and banned from campaigning by the Election Commission.
The Congress appealed to the electorate to defeat those who were using “hate rhetoric” and attempting to communalise the polls. Taking a dig at the BJP’s “missing manifesto”, the Congress spokesperson said, "BJP perhaps will not need a manifesto any longer. Modi and his conscience keeper Amit Shah have attempted to divide the people of the country through their hate and divisive speeches on the basis on caste and religion.”
"They are only talking of cutting into pieces, killing, taking revenge and destroying. This is the real manifesto of BJP which has come to the fore when the elections are nearing”.
Congress leaders confess that it’s more of a tit for tat for between the two parties; Ïf the BJP had ensured that Congress candidate Imran Masood landed in jail, we too will see to it that Amit Shah pays the price for his hate speech.”
The Congress bolstered its case against BJP’s politics of communalisation by again drawing attention to the recent Cobrapost sting on the Babri Masjid demolition. Surjewala accused the BJP of using “innocent Hindus” and allowing their killing to communalise the atmosphere during Ram Janmabhoomi-Babari mosque agitation.
Surjewala said, “Within 24 hours of the sting that exposed the manner in which the leaders of BJP and RSS worked has been exposed, how innocent Hindus were allowed to be killed under a plan by BJP and VHP leaders, it has come to fore how the plan was weaved to rupture the social fabric in Muzaffarnagar, to poison the entire political social landscape by Shah and Rana”.
The electoral arena has also shifted to the Election Commission (EC), with both the Congress and BJP lodging complaints with the poll panel accusing each other of inciting religious polarisation. Neither, however, have been inclined to apologise or explain conduct of their leaders and candidates and have been more willing to ride the wave of controversy as the election days draw nearer.
Yesterday, the BJP approached the EC asking it to prohibit news portal Cobrapost to disseminate its sting on Ramjanmabhoomi issue as it was likely to cause “communal polarisation”. Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged the sting was Congress sponsored. "It is by Congress-post, not Cobrapost," he said.
More From This Section
Today, the Congress lodged a complaint with EC against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah. The Congress charged Shah of attempting to play the “2002 communal game” when he on Friday exhorted community leaders in riot affected western UP districts “to exact revenge by voting for the BJP.” The Congress complaint comes a week after the BJP’s complaint against Congress candidate Imran Masood who landed in jail for his “hate speech” against Modi, for threatening to chop him into pieces.
Two day ago Shah had spoken of the current election being an opportunity to take "revenge for the insult" during the violence in Muzaffarnagar last year. Shah had said, “In Uttar Pradesh, especially western UP, it is an election for honour. It is an election to take revenge for the insult. It an election to teach a lesson to those who have committed injustice.”
The BJP today defended Shah. Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Shah captured the “mood of the nation” and was asking the people to vote for the party and Modi. She said it was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who had tried to polarize the elections by her appeal to Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid.
"There has been lot of discussion on what Amit Shah has said in a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar. He actually captured the mood of nation," said she, adding Sonia Gandhi also sought vote on religious grounds. “The attempt of polarizing the vote was initiated by the so-called secular parties. We see nothing wrong in Amit Shah's statement," she said, adding that even UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been heard seeking votes on religious grounds.
Congress party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, slammed both Shah and the BJP MLA Suresh Rana accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots, for "stoking communal fire”. The party has demanded that Shah be arrested and banned from campaigning by the Election Commission.
The Congress appealed to the electorate to defeat those who were using “hate rhetoric” and attempting to communalise the polls. Taking a dig at the BJP’s “missing manifesto”, the Congress spokesperson said, "BJP perhaps will not need a manifesto any longer. Modi and his conscience keeper Amit Shah have attempted to divide the people of the country through their hate and divisive speeches on the basis on caste and religion.”
"They are only talking of cutting into pieces, killing, taking revenge and destroying. This is the real manifesto of BJP which has come to the fore when the elections are nearing”.
Congress leaders confess that it’s more of a tit for tat for between the two parties; Ïf the BJP had ensured that Congress candidate Imran Masood landed in jail, we too will see to it that Amit Shah pays the price for his hate speech.”
The Congress bolstered its case against BJP’s politics of communalisation by again drawing attention to the recent Cobrapost sting on the Babri Masjid demolition. Surjewala accused the BJP of using “innocent Hindus” and allowing their killing to communalise the atmosphere during Ram Janmabhoomi-Babari mosque agitation.
Surjewala said, “Within 24 hours of the sting that exposed the manner in which the leaders of BJP and RSS worked has been exposed, how innocent Hindus were allowed to be killed under a plan by BJP and VHP leaders, it has come to fore how the plan was weaved to rupture the social fabric in Muzaffarnagar, to poison the entire political social landscape by Shah and Rana”.