By Sundeep Pouranik

Bhopal, Jan 29 (IANS): Socialist Raghu Thakur expressed concern over the increasing communal polarization in the country's politics, and held the Congress responsible for it.

He alleged that the Congress helped build the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) to weaken the socialists in the country.

The BJS, the political arm of RSS, existed from 1951 to 1977.

In a special conversation with IANS, Raghu Thakur said, after Independence, the Congress party tried to take politics to the religious path. The Congress helped build the BJS and it is because of that the condition of the Congress is such today.

Thakur alleged said that the Congress strategised in a planned manner and tried to take the BJS forward. Congress believed that the staunch Hinduist party would not get the support of many people, because the government is of Congress and Congress also runs on Hindu mindset, Muslims will continue to vote for Congress because of their fear. In this way, the Congress started communal polarisation.

He further said that Congress adopted the policy of appeasement of Muslims to take them along in the structure it prepared, but Congress forgot that the consequences of Muslim appeasement would be harmful for itself.

BJP has been successful in uniting Hindus after 70 years and that is the reason why it is in power today. The socialist movement has to bear its biggest loss, the reason for this is because socialists are neither Hindus nor Muslims. This is the reason why many a time Samajwadi contests elections even in Muslim dominated areas and has to face defeat.

In response to a question, Raghu Thakur said that in the present era, BJP is completely moving forward on fanatical Hinduism, while the Muslim vote-bank tries to defeat BJP. But, the result of this is that BJP gets benefitted. Two elections in Bhopal are examples of this, once Agnivesh contested and second time Digvijay Singh, both had to face a big defeat.

In response to a question, Raghu Thakur said both BJP and Congress are opposed to small parties. He said that while Congress swallows small parties, BJP chews them and swallows them.

Raghu Thakur believes that the socialist ideology has deep roots. He says that even though the socialist movement has become weak, the socialist ideology is still there in the society and the political parties are running on it only.

Whether it is BJP or Congress, both move forward with socialist ideas. Examples of this are giving equal rights to women, providing bread to the poor, as well as running schemes for the welfare of the poor.