Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are responsible for creating an environment of hatred and anger, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Friday in response to the Supreme Court’s observation that suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was “single-handedly responsible for igniting emotions across the country”.
Separately, the Congress, in a statement, said the BJP should “hang its head in shame’’ after the top court’s remarks on Ms. Sharma.
“Yes, of course, the Supreme Court has said this [about Ms. Sharma] but the atmosphere in the country has been created by the ruling dispensation. It is not the person who has made the comment, it is the Prime Minister, Home Minister, BJP and the RSS that has created this environment of anger and hatred,” Mr. Gandhi told reporters at Wayanad on the first day of his three-day tour to Kerala.
‘Anti-national act’
“The creation of this environment in the country is an anti-national act. This is against the interest of the people of India and is completely wrong. It is going to lead to tragedy,” he added.
The former Congress chief said his party built bridges between different sections and violence was antithetical to its philosophy.
On behalf of the party, the general secretary in-charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh, said the top court had strengthened the party’s resolve to fight “destructively divisive ideologies”.
“These remarks by the Supreme Court, which resonate with the entire country, should make the party in power hang its head in shame. The Supreme Court held a mirror to this government and called out the base ugliness of its actions,” Mr. Ramesh said.
“It is no secret that the BJP seeks to profit from inflaming communal passions. Today, the Supreme Court has strengthened the resolve in every single one of us who are fighting these destructively divisive ideologies,” he added.
Mr. Ramesh also pointed to the top court’s observations about deferential treatment being given to the suspended BJP spokesperson by the Delhi Police and asking them [the Delhi Police] “if a red carpet was being rolled out for her”.
