Cong still playing vote-bank politics: Modi

In a veiled attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those who suffered a massive defeat in the recent elections were still unable to desist from vote-bank politics.

Rahul had blamed the BJP for the latest spurt in communal violence in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Rahul’s remarks that incidents of communal violence in UP were “artificially and deliberately engineered” triggered a fresh row between the Congress and BJP as Parliament is set to discuss the issue at length next week.

Modi countered the Congress scion, who had stormed into the Well of the Lok Sabha last week demanding a debate on the issue, urging party workers to play a crucial role to ensure communal and national unity so that the nation moves forward.

“The BJP never accepts incidents (of violence) which are taking place in the country. Peace, unity and harmony are the prerequisites for progress and there will be no compromise on this. Those who have suffered a massive defeat in the elections are still not able to desist from engaging in old vote-bank politics.

They are engaged in disturbing the social fabric,” Modi said while addressing the BJP’s national council meeting here.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in communal politics, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said it was the Congress which has an alliance with the Muslim League.

Rejecting the BJP’s charge, Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi said her party does not believe in any politics which is “divisive”.