Amit Shah polarising, complains Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress clashed with BJP over Amit Shah’s remark during a poll rally that if voted back to office, the ruling party would ensure the expulsion of all infiltrators except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs, saying it was an attempt to polarise elections and divide people.


Congress referred to a tweet on BJP’s handles that said, “We will ensure implementation of NRC in the entire country. We will remove every single infiltrator from the country, except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs.” Shah’s remarks at a poll rally in West Bengal kicked up a furore on social media too.

The video of the BJP chief’s speech, posted on the party’s Twitter handle, said, “When we say we will bring NRC, Mamata di scares Bengali refugees that you will have to go... I want to say, the citizenship amendment bill means that those who came from

Bangladesh

and Pakistan, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh refugees, they will not be sent back.”

Referring to the IAF strike in Pakistan after the Pulwama terrorist attack, he said, “Let Mamata do ILU (I love you) with them (Pakistan). We are not going to compromise on the country’s security.”

Shah’s statement, which referred to the terms of the citizenship amendment bill that identifies minorities facing persecution in neighbouring countries, was latched on to by the political opposition as yet another attempt by BJP to polarise the elections.

“This is the ‘New India’ they want, one completely devoid of unity and brotherhood,” Congress said.

The opposition party also accused BJP of spreading hate, a charge the party has reiterated and for which it has lodged formal complaints with the Election Commission.