M A I N   N E W S

Cong: BJP spreading ideological terror
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, October 25
The Congress today went all out against the BJP and the RSS, blaming both outfits for fanning ideological hatred and terror in the country.

“The BJP and the RSS are promoting ideological terrorism. This act may not be unconstitutional, but it divides people nevertheless,” Randeep Singh Surjewala, soon-to-be appointed national spokesperson of the party and Haryana Industry Minister said today.

Steering clear of the BJP and some Muslim clerics’ demand for an unconditional apology from Rahul Gandhi for saying he had inputs the ISI was trying to recruit riot-affected Muslim youth in Muzaffarnagar, the Congress stood behind its young leader lauding his statement as “politically mature”.

“Rahul Gandhi behaved like a responsible political leader by warning people against the misdemeanours of those who want to divide the nation,” said Surjewala, called in for a briefing today by Ajay Makan, general secretary in charge of Congress’ communications department.

What the Gandhi scion meant was enemies of the country became active when there were internal divisions, Surjewala said. “Rahul Gandhi speaks from the heart. He doesn’t read out film scripts like some leaders (read Modi),” he said, exhibiting a major shift in the Congress strategy to counter the BJP.

He recounted recent incidents to mirror a BJP design for communal flare up of passions - Amit Shah’s revival of temple politics soon after he became the BJP general secretary in charge of UP; VHP persistence to hold 84-kosi yatra in Ayodhya; BJP MP Yogi Adityanath’s recent arrest following announcement of VHP’s Sankalp Yatra; and the Muzaffarnagar riots where a doctored (set in Afghanistan) CD uploaded by a BJP leader stoked communal fires in riot hit Muzaffarnagar. Though clerics like Shahar Qazi, Maulana Abul Irfan and Miyan Farangi Mahali from UP issued a statement calling Rahul’s comments “most unfortunate”, the Congress stepped up its attack on the BJP and the RSS, literally equating the two with the ISI.

Party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed tweeted: “Really true! Whenever and wherever communal trouble erupts in this country two sets of people rejoice-Pakistan’s ISI and India’s Bhajpaei.”