Even as the CD row rages, BJP is caught in yet another controversy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh -- this time its ad campaign allegedly targeting the minorities and making pun of the word 'Pak' with Congress threatening to move the Election Commission on this issue too.
"There cannot be a worse form of communalism than what we are seeing in these advertisements. We will definitely take this issue to the Election Commission tomorrow," Congress leader and Union Minister Kapil Sibal said on Wednesday.
He alleged the ad blitz in newspapers in UP was clearly aimed at "targeting Muslims to breed hatred" and claimed it suspects the intentions of Muslims.
"Kya Inka Irada Pak Hai?" (Are their intentions pure) is the catch line of the saffron party's ad blitz.
He alleged the advertisement says "terrorists are churned out in madrassas". Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, speaking to reporters separately, dismissed the objections against the ad campaign and insisted that it was not communal and was projecting the danger of ISI and SIMI.
This, he said, was especially so as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had himself admitted on the floor of the Assembly that criminal and terrorist networks had gained roots in 34 districts of the state.
{{/usCountry}}This, he said, was especially so as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had himself admitted on the floor of the Assembly that criminal and terrorist networks had gained roots in 34 districts of the state.
{{/usCountry}}"We are ready for an open debate even as the elections are on whether opposing ISI ans SIMI in this country amounted to communalism," Naqvi said.
Sibal countered by saying "there is a a green flag shown in advertisement and ISI word is written on it. Things like kya inka irada pak hein and then all madrassas produce terrorists is a clear reflection on what is on their mind...They are breeding hatred so that they can get votes of a particular community."