Opposition parties building narrative against BJP, says Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday lashed out at the Opposition for blaming his party for communal violence in the country and said the February-March assembly elections in five states should serve as an “eye-opener” for those thriving on “vote bank politics.” Party president J P Nadda, in a letter addressed to “fellow Indians’, accused the Opposition parties of building a narrative against the BJP as the government is cracking down on anti-social elements who ‘’bullied common people. For decades, they freely patronised lumpen, antisocial elements who bullied common people. Now that these elements are being subjected to the laws of the land, the parties which shelter these elements are panicking and thus taking to this bizarre conduct,’Nadda wrote.

He rejected the allegation that communal clashes peaked during the NDA’s rule. He added in November 1969, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, Hindu Sadhus were fired upon when they were sitting outside Parliament after marching towards Delhi with the demand of banning cow slaughter. He added who can forget “Rajiv Gandhi’s infamous words – when a big tree falls, the earth shakes – that justified the killings of thousands of Sikhs” following Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Nadda referred to communal violence during the Congress rule. ‘’…Gujarat in 1969, Moradabad in 1980, Bhiwandi in 1984, Meerut in 1987...incidents against the Hindus in Kashmir Valley throughout the 1980s, 1989 Bhagalpur, 1994 Hubli… The list of communal violence during Congress rule is long. Under which government did the Muzaffarnagar riots happen in 2013 or the Assam riots in 2012?’’

Nadda called the National Advisory Council, which was set up to advise the Prime Minister in 2004 and dissolved in 2014, an extra-constitutional body. He added it brought in the “most horrific communal violence Bill’’. “The most horrific massacres against Dalits and Tribals have taken place under the Congress regime. This is the same Congress that even got Dr Ambedkar defeated in Parliamentary elections.” Nadda hit out at West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over “shameful political violence’’ in the state. He also referred to “repeated killing and targeting of BJP workers” in Kerala. Nadda added it offers a glimpse of “how some of a political parties view democracy.” Nadda said two Cabinet ministers in Maharashtra have been arrested on serious charges of corruption, extortion, and links with antisocial elements.

The letter comes after 13 Opposition parties issued a joint appeal for peace and harmony in the country following communal clashes including in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They urged the Centre to take strict action against those responsible for the communal violence. The Opposition parties also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence’’ on the increasing violence. ‘’…We are extremely anguished at the manner in which issues related to food, dress, faith, festivals, and languages are being deliberately used by sections of the ruling establishment to polarise our society,” the parties including the Congress said in the appeal.