BJP demands apology from Cong for ‘defaming Hindus’

The BJP had yesterday accused the Congress of “defaming” Hindus by coining the term “saffron terror” and asked Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to apologise. You can’t take the Hindus for granted.

The BJP chief directed party workers to undertake a door to door campaign to spread the message of development and publicise the good work which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa have done.

Facing flak from the BJP for the virtual washout of the recent budget session of Parliament, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today hit back, saying the Prime Minister who has the time to travel all over the country, could not spare 15 minutes for the Lok Sabha.

The Opposition Congress, however, called it a “gross mismanagement” by the Modi government and asked whether it was a deliberate move taken by the Center.

Reacting to the BJP’s accusation on Monday, Congress leader PL Punia said that neither Rahul Gandhi nor any other party leader ever used the term “saffron terror”. For its appeasement politics, the Congress defamed Hindus. That conspiracy has been exposed.

He referred to a USA diplomatic cable and claimed Rahul had said that radicalised Hindu groups posed a greater threat to the country. “It is our clear belief that terror can not be linked to any religion or any community or caste”, party spokesperson P.L. Punia said. One the first page is written “reaching out to Rahul Gandhi and other young parliamentarians”.

“Congress leaders, including P. Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Digvijay Singh carried out “Hindu Terror” campaign and tried to defame Hindus within and outside the country to appease a section of society”, recalled Shah.

The Congress accused BJP leaders of being the “protectors” and lawyers of “absconders and fraudsters” and demanded the resignation of union ministers Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had gone as far as to declare that Rahul Gandhi is a “janeu-dhari Hindu” to underline his identity as not just a Hindu but who wore the sacred thread, thus marking him out as an upper-caste Brahmin.

“10 January 2018, Siddaramaiah also said Saffron terror”, Shah said.