NEW DELHI: As Maharashtra and Jharkhand gear up for assembly elections, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday accused the Congress party of collaborating with “conservative and divisive elements” in the Muslim community in a bid to secure votes.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Prasad claimed that grand old party was aligning with groups opposed to national unity to bolster its poll prospects.
“The BJP is very clear that the Congress party is conspiring with conservative, divisive elements in the Muslim community for the sake of votes as they are apprehensive about their imminent defeat,” said Prasad.
He further alleged that Congress had issues with national unity, stating that they conspire with forces aiming to “break the country.” In contrast, he asserted, BJP champions unity, citing PM Modi’s slogan, “Ek rahenge toh safe rahenge” (“If we stay united, we stay safe”).
“PM Modi says ‘Ek rahenge toh safe rahenge,’ and yet Congress is mocking this and appealing to the Election Commission. They have a problem with unity and are conspiring with those who want to divide the country,” Prasad added.
He pointed to the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh’s recent expression of support for the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra. “Just days ago, we highlighted the All India Ulema Board’s involvement, and today we have this flyer from the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh. The Congress and its allies are clearly pushing for Muslim votes by advancing this agenda,” Prasad alleged, adding that NGOs were also being mobilised for this cause.
However, the grand old party denied any association with the purported letter from the All India Ulema Board to Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. On November 6, Congress asserted that no such letter was sent, and that any signatures of Patole’s were forged. In a social media post in Marathi, Maharashtra Congress claimed, “The Mahayuti alliance is trying to mislead people with fake photos and letters that were never sent. But lies will not conceal the truth.”
Turning to Jharkhand, Prasad presented what he claimed was a letter from the Jamiat Ulama’s Lohardaga branch, allegedly urging Muslims to support the INDIA bloc in response to perceived threats.
According to Prasad, the letter suggested that laws such as the UCC, NRC, and Waqf Act were being used to intimidate Muslims. He quoted the alleged letter, “The way NRC, Uniform Civil Code, and Waqf laws are being used to scare Muslims, and the excuse of infiltrators in Jharkhand, the Jamiat Ulama is requesting Muslims to unite and vote for the INDIA alliance.”
Prasad also criticised Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s campaign in Wayanad, claiming that her support came from Jamaat-e-Islami, a charge he said was corroborated by Kerala’s chief minister.
