Congress accuses BJP, SP of causing polarisation in UP

By NewsGram staff writer

New Delhi: Accusing the BJP and Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party of seeking to cause polarisation in the state on communal lines, the Congress on Monday said that the party will observe fast for harmony on October 10 following the incident in Dadri in which a man was lynched following rumors that he ate beef.

"This BJP,SP polarisation of UP must end! All of us Congress workers will observe a Sadbhavna fast for harmony on the 10th of October," Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said in a tweet.

Singh also slammed Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azam Khan over his remarks that he will raise the trend of rising communal violence in India in the United Nations.

"Azam Khan should first read the Indian constitution before speaking," he said in another tweet.

Congress also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "break his" silence over the remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders over the lynching incident.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains a deafening silence qua the inflammatory, provocative and incendiary statements aimed at rabble-rousing by union ministers and BJP leaders," said party leader Pramod Tiwari said.

On September 28, 50-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq, a resident of Bisara village of Dadri in Greater Noida near Delhi, was dragged out of his home and lynched following rumors that he ate beef. The family has denied the allegations. Akhlaq's 21-year-old son Danish was critically injured in the incident.

Tiwari said that Congress workers will hold a fast on October 10 in Dadri area.

Referring to Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi's remarks about party banning cow slaughter in the state if it wins assembly polls, he said there was a ban on cow slaughter in a majority of states and it was banned in Bihar in 1955.

(IANS)