Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the BJP was no different from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), and both are seeking to divide the nation on communal lines.
“Both the BJP and MIM share a common ideology and thinking of creating a communal divide in the country,” he said at a rally at the historic Charminar in Hyderabad as part of Rajiv Sadbhavana Yatra.
The Rajiv Sadbhavana Yatra was organised to commemorate former prime minister and Rahul’s father, Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Charminar in 1990. After hoisting the party flag, Rahul flagged off the yatra to promote communal harmony.
The Congress president pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had all strived to build a strong secular nation. “They never worked for a particular religion. Constitutionally, we are living in Hindustan, but all people are equal in this country, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. They have a right to live peacefully in this country,” he said.
He, however, alleged that for the first time, Prime Minister Narandra Modi and his followers were spreading hatred among the people and were trying to divide the nation.
“Nobody is feeling safe and secure in this country, whether they are Dalits, tribals, Muslims or women. They are living with fear psychosis,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Nobody is feeling safe and secure in this country, whether they are Dalits, tribals, Muslims or women. They are living with fear psychosis,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul pointed out that Modi had installed the portrait of V D Savarkar in Parliament despite the fact that the latter had meekly surrendered to the British and wrote a letter of apology, requesting that he be released from jail, at a time when Mahatma Gandhi and several Congress leaders were languishing in jails. “He was not a Veera Sawarkar,” he said in a jibe.
The Congress president alleged that the MIM was indirectly backing the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana. “In Parliament, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supports the BJP. And in Telangana, the MIM supports the TRS. All the three parties are hand in gloves with one another,” he alleged.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi presented Rajiv Sadbhavana award to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah.