New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS): Congress leader Rashid Alvi, commenting on the exit polls for the Haryana Assembly elections, said on Sunday that a wave of support for Congress is sweeping through the state and the public is against BJP.
"If Congress wins 70 to 75 seats, I wouldn’t be surprised," said the Congress leader further adding that wherever the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power, it exploits religion and plays the Hindu-Muslim card.
"The BJP has no concern for development or addressing public issues, it has ruled Haryana for 10 years, but they haven’t done any significant work," alleged the Congress leader.
Regarding the Chief Ministerial candidate for Haryana, Rashid Alvi said, "Congress never decides on a CM face before the elections. The elected members will give their recommendations, and based on their input, the party will decide who will become the Chief Minister."
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Prime Minister Modi, the Congress leader remarked, "The BJP's Chief Ministers and Governors continuously undermine the Constitution. One Governor claims that secularism is a foreign concept, yet they take an oath on this very Constitution. In Gujarat, bulldozers are used in defiance of Supreme Court orders. Is this not tampering with the Constitution? The BJP shows no respect for the country or the Constitution."
On the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative and former President Ram Nath Kovind’s comments, Alvi stated, "Former President said it would not violate the Constitution. If that's the case, why is there a need to amend the Constitution? The government is already talking about making amendments in the upcoming winter session. If an amendment is required, it implies that the Constitution needs to be altered to accommodate this."
"The government has no clear blueprint for this initiative; it’s all guesswork. Such moves are a mockery of both the Constitution and democracy," he added.
Commenting on the Shimla High Court's decision to demolish parts of a mosque deemed unauthorised, the Congress leader remarked, "If the mosque is unauthorised and has not been regularised, then the court's decision should be accepted. However, if regularisation is possible, it would be better to go that route. The mosque's representatives have already expressed willingness to comply with the court's order."
On Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s proposal to include Kannada as a business language, Rashid Alvi said, "Every language deserves respect, and the entire nation should honour that. India is a vast country with diverse languages and religions. It is our collective responsibility to keep India united. Unfortunately, the BJP neither respects other religions nor other languages. They are on a path that seeks to divide the country."
Reacting to the tragic incident in West Bengal where a 4-year-old girl was raped and murdered, the Congress leader called it "extremely unfortunate." He added, "Such incidents cause immense pain, but this is not limited to Bengal. In Amethi, people are being attacked in their own homes. Why doesn’t the BJP discuss those incidents? There is no law and order in the state where the BJP governs. However, if such a crime has occurred in Bengal, strict action must be taken against the culprits."
Lastly, responding to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments on Hindu unity, Alvi expressed surprise, saying, "On one hand, the RSS chief claims that everyone in the country is a Hindu, but on the other hand, they talk about religious unity. What exactly is their ideology? What do they want? They say everyone in India has the same DNA but then issue statements like this."
He further added that it reveals their true intentions, using religion for political gain, consolidating one community to keep power in the BJP's hands. Which is against the Constitution.