Priyanka supporting rioters, indulging in vote bank politics: Dy CM Dinesh Sharma
Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Monday said Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was supporting the rioters who had unleashed violence in various districts of the state during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) earlier this month.
Addressing a press conference immediately after Priyanka launched an attack on chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his ‘revenge against protesters’ remark, Sharma alleged that Congress leader had distorted the statement of the chief minister.
After violence, the chief minister had stated that the state government will penalise those who damaged government property.
Priyanka Gandhi had referred to Adityanath’s saffron robes and asked him to follow Hinduism as there was no place for revenge and violence in that religion.
Sharma said Priyanka had no knowledge of Hinduism, saffron dress and its tradition. She was trying to malign saffron, he said.
Sharma further said, Yogi Adityanath did not need lessons on Hinduism, he observed his religion.
“In the name of appeasing minorities, she is supporting rioters, people who pelted stones, damaged public property and rained bullets on the policemen. Later, the police seized bullets and revolvers from them,” Sharma said.
The deputy chief minister alleged that Priyanka Gandhi was disrespecting Hinduism and indulging in vote bank politics.
There was a competition between opposition parties to grab the votes of a particular community, he alleged.
Sharma said the Congress was competing with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to grab the BSP vote and that was why Congress leaders were supporting Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar. He also said, “The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are trying to outdo each other in proving themselves as supporters of a ‘special section’. “Today, when there is peace in the entire state, these people are trying to surpass each other by spreading propaganda,” he said.
The Congress was indulging in disinformation over NRC though the central government had made it clear that there was no proposal to implement a nationwide NRC, he said.
In 2013, the then Congress-led UPA government had announced to introduce NRC, he claimed.
The Congress leaders knew that their future was bleak, so they had launched a false propaganda campaign to misguide the people, Sharma said.
Violation of rules had become a practice for Congress leaders, he alleged.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not follow the security rules and the CRPF deployed for her security was not aware of her unscheduled movement on December 28, the deputy chief minister said.
She changed her programme and violated the rules, he said.
To serve their political interests, Congress leaders were raising the issues of caste and religion, Sharma said.
The state government had appealed to opposition parties to assist it in restoring law and order, he said, adding that they should desist from instigating the protesters.
The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the deaths of protesters in Bijnor.
Anti-social elements had attacked policemen and several of them had received serious injuries, he said.
Sharma also said action against protesters and anti- social elements in various districts was being taken on the basis of the evidence collected by police.
The state government had implemented court orders on action against the protesters, he said.
