BJP motion in opposition to its leaders placatory, taken following threats from exterior powers: Cong

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday termed the BJP’s motion in opposition to two of its spokespersons over their remarks in opposition to Prophet Muhammad as “placatory”, saying it got here beneath duress following “threats from external powers” and uncovered the saffron celebration’s “muscular posturing”.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suspended its nationwide spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal on Sunday after their alleged derogatory remarks in opposition to Prophet Muhammad.

Congress common secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of pushing India right into a darkish age of spiritual polarisation to “subserve its parochial political agenda in the short term”.

“The placatory expulsion of two key members and spokespersons of the BJP from its primary membership, done obviously under duress of threats from external powers, exposes the much touted ‘muscular posturing’ and positioning of the BJP and the Modi government,” Surjewala mentioned in a press release.

“Is the BJP sincere in course correcting? Is the BJP trying to atone for its immeasurable sins or is it more chameleon-like posturing?” he requested. Congress chief Jairam Ramesh mentioned the Centre calling BJP spokespersons “fringe elements” is a joke.

The remarks by the BJP spokespersons drew worldwide consideration, with Qatar’s international ministry saying it has summoned Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal and handed over an official notice to him on what the Gulf nation referred to as “total rejection and condemnation” of the controversial remarks of a BJP chief in opposition to Prophet Muhammad.

In a press launch, a spokesperson of the Indian Embassy in Qatar mentioned the ambassador had a gathering on the Foreign Office, through which issues had been raised with regard to some offensive tweets by people in India, denigrating the non secular character.

“The ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements,” the spokesperson mentioned.

Reacting to the assertion, Ramesh tweeted: “BJP has suspended two spokespersons after protests by Qatar government. This is what Americans call a good cop-bad cop routine. First, get your people to be obnoxious. Then act against them under pressure, to appear moderate. MEA calling BJP spokespersons ‘fringe elements’ is a joke!”

Congress’s social media division head Rohan Gupta additionally tweeted: “Now Indian government calls BJP spokespersons fringe elements!” Another Congress chief Shashi Tharoor mentioned this hearth should be doused as it’s now gripping NRIs too.

“The way the BJP has adopted the phrase ‘Ghar Phoonk Tamasha Dekhna’ (making a spectacle after setting the house on fire), the head of every secular citizen of the country has bowed in shame. Now even non-resident Indians are coming under the grip of this fire. This fire should be doused immediately,” the previous Union minister mentioned in a tweet in Hindi.

Amid protests by Muslim teams over the remarks, the BJP additionally issued a press release aimed toward assuaging the issues of the minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any non secular character.

“BJP’s statement today saying, ‘strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion’ is nothing but a blatantly counterfeit pretence and sham attempt at damage control,” Surjewala tweeted.

“One thing is clear, it is a lesson to the virulent members of the BJP that they are nothing but fodders in this game of political grandstanding and that they can be used, thrown and discarded at the drop of a hat,” he mentioned.

The Congress chief mentioned a brief assertion by the BJP is unlikely to heal the thousands and thousands of wounds inflicted on the ethos of Indianness.

“Will the bulldozing of India’s soul, its ethos and its all-encompassing humanity by the bulldozer of hatred finally stop? Will the mob-lynching of our constitutional ethos cease? Is repentance by the BJP and its leadership possible?” he requested.

Surjewala mentioned the reality is that the BJP has pushed India right into a darkish age of spiritual polarisation to subserve its parochial political agenda within the brief time period.

As a outcome, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians as additionally SCs, STs and OBCs have needed to face the wrath of lumpen components backed by State energy, he alleged, including that this can’t be the central theme of any political celebration.

“The BJP and its shenanigans have repeatedly and by design insulted India’s centuries old civilisational ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ by constantly pitting one community and religion against another to polarise, to divide and to spread hatred,” Surjewala mentioned.

He mentioned the intrinsic character of the BJP and the Modi authorities is now based upon non secular violence, divisive conservatism and nurturing hatred to safe vote-bank politics.

“None less than the Prime Minister and the BJP Chief Ministers, of the ilk of Adityanath, have introduced a new political vocabulary of State sponsored division of society, i.e. ‘Shamshan-Kabristan’, ’80 versus 20′, ‘bulldozer’,” he mentioned, including that the language of politics throughout elections not centres round phrases like growth, employment, progress, schooling, agriculture, irrigation, electrical energy, commerce and enterprise and infrastructure.

“It is now entirely centred upon creating, propagating, promoting and executing a wedge between religions and communities based on what they wear, what they eat, how they live, how they celebrate their religion or even how they speak,” he mentioned.