Slamming BJP for raising the Ram Temple issue in the coming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, CPI(M) politbureau member M A Baby today alleged the saffron party was trying to create Hindu-Muslim divide in the northern state.
In a Facebook post, he said the BJP's election manifesto, released by party President Amit Shah yesterday, had promised to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
This was "a naked violation" of the January 2 verdict of the Supreme Court's Constitutional bench against use of religion for soliciting votes, Baby, a former Kerala education Minister, said.
"The BJP's UP election manifesto, released by Amit Shah yesterday, said Ram Temple would be constructed in Ayodhya. This is a nake violation of the the (court) verdict," he claimed.
The apex court had held that any appeal for vote on grounds of 'religion, race, community or language amounted to corrupt practice under the election law provision'. The Election Commission should immediately intervene and take action, he said.
Accusing the BJP of attempting to raise religious fervour and polarise people in the name of Lord Ram Temple, he said the Supreme Court should be approached against this. Claiming that the Narendra Modi government had been a "total failure" on all fronts, he alleged that the Centre had been unable to fulfil the promises made and had also inflicted undue hardships on people through demonetisation. Baby urged all progressive and secular forces in the country to come together to defeat BJP's 'devious' attempts.
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