Bangalore: BJP planning communal riots for 2014 poll gain: Digvijay

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 2: AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh has alleged that BJP would instigate communal riots in Congress-ruled states ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as part of its 'sinister' design to win the elections.

Addressing the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in Bangalore on Tuesday, the senior Congress leader said the BJP wants to win the elections by ''communalizing” the political atmosphere.

Singh said the very fact that BJP was divided and NDA was split indicated the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi merely as the party’s poll campaign chief showed that the saffron outfit had no chance of winning in the Lok Sabha. The NDA would be further split in the unlikely event of Modi being selected as the prime ministerial candidate.

The AICC General Secretary, who is in Bangalore on his first visit after being put in charge of the State Congress replacing Madhusudan Mistry, said BJP feels that it cannot win the polls without communalising the electoral field.

“They (the BJP) would be instigating communal riots in Congress-ruled states,” Singh alleged.

He said BJP would also “communalise” the “body politic” in states not governed by it.

Whenever BJP feels that it is losing people’s support, Singh said it foments communal violence so that it can level allegations against the Congress and party-ruled governments.
 
“We have to be very, very careful and keep an eye on these people,” he said and asked partymen to be vigilant against the ''evil designs” of BJP.

Singh advised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to keep Sangh pariwar outfits on a tight leash and ensure that any acts of ''moral policing” were not allowed in any part of the State.

Claiming that the Sangh operates through more than 150 different organisations, he said they have to be kept under strict watch.

There should also be strict control over “communal elements so that they don’t spread the ideology of communal violence and hatred,” he said.

The Congress leader asked the partymen to remain united and ensure that the Congress party emerged triumphant in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the State’s image has suffered irreparable damage following the corruption and other scams during the five-year BJP rule. He assured that his government would put down any attempts at creating communal disturbance in the state.

KPCC President Dr G Parmeshwar said the Congress partymen should aim at winning the maximum number of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the coming election.

Singh, who is also Congress general secretary, said a panel would be set up to ensure coordination between the government and the party in the state.

Setting up of such a panel has been sought by a section in Karnataka Congress which feels that Siddaramaiah was taking unilateral decisions to corner glory for himself at the cost of the party.

Singh urged Siddaramaiah and the party to provide corruption-free administration and fulfil the promises made in the manifesto for the assembly election.

This was essential if the Congress had to perform well in the Lok Sabha election, he said.

Karnataka sends 28 members to the Lok Sabha and in the 2009 election the Congress had won just six with the BJP bagging 19 and Janata Dal-Secular three.

With IANS Inputs