BJP today lashed out at Congress for elevating Imran Masood, accused of making a hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls, as its vice president in Uttar Pradesh, saying it wants to "communalise" the state ahead of the assembly elections.
Masood's appointment was a "proof" that it did not want development as the main election issue and both SP and BSP were "hand in glove" with it over the strategy to practise "poisonous" politics, BJP's National Secretary Shrikant Sharma told a press conference.
He, however, rejected any comparison with his party's decision to appoint Muzaffarnagar riot accused and MLA Suresh Rana as its vice president in the state, claiming he was framed by the Samajwadi Party government and Masood's vitriolic speech had crossed all limits.
"Masood's appointment is an attempt by the Congress to do politics over caste and religion. Its ugly face has come to fore. It wants to practise poisonous politics, create communal passions and communalise the polity.
"The issue in the polls is development. SP, BSP and Congress do not want it and they are all together," he said.
Sharma claimed that people in the state had made up their mind to vote for development and BJP will come to power to provide good governance.
"At present, corruption and crime are ruling the roost in the state. People want to get rid of this and will choose BJP," he said.
