Reacting strongly to BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s remarks, Congress blasted the BJP over the ‘cheap’ comment and will approach the EC; BJP distances itself from Giriraj
New Delhi: After BJP leader Giriraj Singh said those opposing Narendra Modi will be sent to Pakistan, the Congress yesterday wondered if the party would also send LK Advani and some other leaders to the neighbouring country.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bihar unit leader Giriraj Singh had said at an election rally: “Those opposing Narendra Modi are looking at Pakistan, and such people will have place in Pakistan and not in India.”
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Terming it “cheap politics to get cheap publicity”, Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said, “Several BJP leaders like (LK) Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj are all against Narendra Modi. Will they be sent to Pakistan as well?”
‘Cheap politics’
“Leaders of other parties, Lalu Prasad, Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Jayalalithaa, will all of them be sent to Pakistan,” Afzal wondered.
“This is just cheap politics to get cheap publicity. Seventy to 80 percent people in this country do not vote for BJP, will all of them be sent to Pakistan? Has the BJP asked Nawaz Sharif if they would take in 70-80 per cent of India’s population?”
“Would these people be sent to Pakistan with a passport or just be pushed to the other side of the border?” Afzal said it revealed the “mentality” of the BJP. “Without naming Muslims, they targeted them in this comment.
It reveals the mentality of the BJP. They want to say Muslims, who are opposing BJP, are Pakistanis,” said Afzal. The Congress spokesperson added that the party will approach the Election Commission with regard to the comment.
Janata Dal-United spokesperson KC Tyagi said they would also go to the poll panel. “We will complain to the Election Commission that Giriraj Singh be arrested for a hate speech and for trying to create a divide between two sections of the society,” Tyagi said.
BJP says
“BJP and Narendra Modi welcome all opposing views. Modi believes in moving forward taking along all opposing views. His (Giriraj Singh) views do not represent the view of BJP,” said BJP Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad.