BJP national president J.P. Nadda on April 8 released a statement attacking the Congress over its Lok Sabha manifesto, accusing the Opposition party of “reflecting the ideology of the Muslim League” in the document. The statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi also raised the same point in public rallies over the weekend.
“I saw the Congress manifesto, I was surprised, is it their manifesto or that of the Muslim League? To divide the country and grab power, to what extent Congress can go, this cannot be predicted,” Mr. Nadda said.
“It was the Muslim League which had talked about reservation on the basis of religion in 1929, the Congress is repeating the same thing. It is difficult to imagine where Congress will take the country in its greed for power. Today, the way there is talk of giving reservation on the basis of religion and the promise of increasing reservation beyond 50%, who is to be benefitted, Congress should make it clear,” he added.
“The Congress’ intentions became clear. They want the country may be divided but their hunger for power should not finish,” Mr. Nadda said. He also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “absent” Congress flags at the roadshow before he filed his nomination papers for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is part of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala. “Rahul Gandhi should answer why Congress flags were absent during the roadshow for filing nomination papers in Wayanad. How far will this appeasement politics go? This attempt to divide the nation and bow to appeasement, the country will not forgive. The way Congress has talked of appeasement and reservation, they will have to clarify. They will have to tell the nation that this politics of greed for power in which you are trying to divide the society, the country will never forgive,” Mr. Nadda said.
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The Congress had released its manifesto on Friday stating that it, if elected, it intends to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50% cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The manifesto also states that the reservation of 10% in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be implemented for all castes and communities without discrimination.
The Lok Sabha election will be held in seven phases from April 19.
