BJP tears into Congress ahead of UP polls

Lucknow, Jan 16 (ANI): With assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh right around the corner, Bharatiya Janata Party has urged the Congress party to clarify its stand on the issues of extremism and minority reservation.

Raising the issue of extremism, BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched a scathing attack at Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh over his recent remarks on the Batla House encounter of 2008.

Naqvi accused Singh of being sympathetic towards extremist militants and advocating their agenda.

"Leaders such as Digvijay Singh are trying to enforce the agenda of SIMI (a banned Islamist outfit) in Uttar Pradesh. SIMI's agenda is to divide the nation and the province of Uttar Pradesh and spark tensions between people and communities. The Congress party cannot remain silent saying it is Digvijay Singh's personal views and it has no responsibility whatsoever," Naqvi told the media here on Sunday.

"The Congress party must come clean on the issues of extremism, Batla House shootout and reservation to minorities, on which it is trying to be perceived as divided but is not. The Congress must clarify its stand to the people of India and Uttar Pradesh," he added

Naqvi also played down the controversy over the BJP's decision to induct 'tainted' leader Babu Singh Kushwaha into its fold.

BJP has put on hold Kushwaha's induction in the face of severe criticism from within and outside the party.

"I feel that the chapter has been closed now. Whether there was any damage or not can only be determined once the polls are over. Presently, we are fighting the polls. The main issues we would be contesting the election are corruption, scams, and the attempts to divide Uttar Pradesh on religious grounds," he said.

Polls in Uttar Pradesh are to be conducted in seven phases between February 8 and March 3. The counting of votes would take place on March 6.

Uttar Pradesh will elect a new 403-member state assembly in March, and the poll results are expected to broadly indicate trends for 2014 general elections. (ANI)