BJP believes in confrontations on communal lines: Digvijay Singh
By ANIThursday, January 27, 2011
NEW DELHI - Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its recent flag-hoisting rally said the party believes in confrontations on communal lines.
Asserting that the BJP likes creating controversial issues, Singh noted that despite knowing that hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar on Republic Day could provoke unrest in the region, the BJP activists launched the ‘Ekta Yatra’ on January 12.
“Both Sushma SwarajJi and Arun JaitleyJi (senior BJP leaders) were cordially invited by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to participate in the government function of flag hoisting on January 26. But the BJP is only interested in confrontations, confrontation on communal lines,” he added.
Singh also commented on his usage of the phrase ’saffron terrorism’, which had drawn considerable flak from right-wing parties.
“See, I have not used the phrase ’saffron terrorism’. We cannot call it saffron terrorism because it depicts religion and valour, so we cannot use it like this. Militants do not have any colour, or caste, nor any religion. The ideology of militants is born from the ideologies of fundamentalists. Congress Party has always condemned fundamentalist ideologies, whether it is of hindus or muslims,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BJP turned down Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah”s invitation to attend the Republic Day celebrations.
“It is a lip service by him (Omar). We do not give credence to it and turn it down,” said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national president Anurag Thakur.
“Omar first arrested leaders of the nationalist party and then did not allow the hoisting of national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar as if it is not a part of the country. Then he invites us as a state guest for the tricolour hoisting on the Republic Day in the state,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, scores of BJP activists including party veterans Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar and Anurag Thakur were taken into custody under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while marching towards Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab. (ANI)
