Maharashtra polls: ‘Vote jihad’ battle intensifies as campaign nears end
Asked about Fadnavis’s appeal to voters, Pawar said it was the BJP leader who had brought up ‘vote jihad,’ referring to minorities favouring the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in a few constituencies during the Lok Sabha election
The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday accused Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of giving a religious colour to the upcoming assembly polls by raking up ‘vote jihad’ for the sake of votes.
At the same time, the advertisement by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) having references to Anaji Datto, a Brahmin who operated as chief secretary during the Maratha empire, came under criticism on social media as many saw it with casteist overtone.
Earlier on Friday, BJP leader and home minister Devendra Fadnavis had called for a ‘dharma-yudh of votes’ to counter the ‘vote jihad,’ a reference to a purported appeal by an Islamic scholar for boycott against the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
Fadnavis while addressing a rally in Khadakwasla constituency in Pune, played a video by Islamic scholar Sajjad Nomani and claimed that the slogan of vote jihad was raised. If vote jihad’ is going to happen, the deputy CM said, we will also have to fight a dharma-yudh of votes.
The MVA leaders criticised the remarks saying this is an attempt to polarise the voters on religious lines.
Asked about Fadnavis’s appeal to voters, Pawar said it was the BJP leader who had brought up ‘vote jihad,’ referring to minorities favouring the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in a few constituencies during the Lok Sabha elections.
“If in one area of Pune where Hindus are in the majority and they vote for the BJP, it is common knowledge that this outcome was expected. That does not mean it is ‘vote jihad’. By raking the slogan, Fadnavis and his colleagues are trying to give a religious colour to this election. We are completely against it,” Pawar said.
Congress state unit chief Nana Patole said, “The Muslim organisation is appealing to voters to vote for a particular party or alliance. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS), which is seen to be a religion-based organisation, too has been doing it for BJP.”
Another Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said, “If farmers tomorrow do not vote for BJP, will its leaders call it vote jihad by the agrarian community?
About the advertisement by the MVA in a local newspaper, it is alleged that Anaji Datto, who hailed from Konkan, conspired to keep Sambhajiraje away from becoming king. The MVA in its advertisement said, “The first Anaji looted Swarajya and the second betrayed all of Maharashtra and the dreams of farmers.” The users on social media saw the reference to Devendra Fadnavis, calling the advertisement “casteist”.
“The MVA has always targeted the Brahmin community, as it hates the Brahmins. Today it has made the Brahmin hatred public by giving an advertisement,” said Bhalchandra Kulkarni, a coordinator for various Brahmin outfits in the state.