By PTI
NEW DELHI: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that hate only breeds hatred and it is time to unite India.
He also said only love and brotherhood can lead India to the path of progress.
“Hate only breeds hatred. Only the path of love and brotherhood can take India towards progress. It is time to unite India,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag “#BharatJodo”.
He made the remarks after he attended a meeting of the Congress group to discuss the preparing and planning of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which was announced in the party’s Udaipur conclave.
The Congress has been accusing the BJP of spreading hate in the society through polarisation.
The Congress, on its official Twitter handle also tweeted, “BJP’s hatred has destroyed the country. If you want to save the country then come ‘unite India’ (Jodo Bharat).”
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of pushing India into a dark age of religious 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,” he said in a statement.
“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 also asked.
Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the BJP also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.
Telangana’s ruling TRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Monday too attacked BJP.
“PM @narendramodi Ji, Why should India as a country apologise to international community for the hate speeches of BJP bigots? It is BJP that should apologise; not India as a Nation. Your party should first apologise to Indians at home for spewing & spreading hatred day in day out,” he tweeted.
Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also referred to BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur allegedly describing Nathuram Godse as a patriot earlier.
“Modi Ji, Your silence was deafening & shocking when BJP MP Pragya Singh hailed assassination of Mahatma Gandhi “Let me remind you sir; What you permit is what you promote,” he said.
The “tacit support from top” emboldened the “bigotry and hatred” that will cause irreparable loss to the country, Rama Rao claimed.
Left parties on Monday charged that the BJP was “forced to act” and suspend its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammed due to pressure from other countries.
The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal as the row over their remarks against the Prophet escalated with protests from some Muslim countries.
With sharp reaction coming from countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, the BJP had issued a statement asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality.
Under attack, Sharma had said, “If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.”
“Nupur Sharma publicly thanked party leaders Amit Shah, PMO and others for support. Now under pressure from other countries they are forced to act and suspend her. These are patrons of hate speech. Condemn Isolate Defeat them Save India,” said CPIM in a tweet.
Sharma’s comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days back, and Jindal’s now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries.
Referring to the remarks of the Indian Ambassador in Qatar that the controversial tweets do not, in any manner, reflect views of the government of India and that “These are the views of fringe elements,” CPI General Secretary D Raja asked is the government declaring RSS a fringe organisation.
“The so-called fringe elements’ were the official spokespersons of the ruling party in India. What they said is not different from the RSS narrative of demonising minorities, which is going on since 1925,” Raja said in a tweet.
“Is the government declaring RSS a fringe organisation? BJP, RSS making people fight over religion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is with the capitalists instead of being with the farmers, workers and labourers,” Raja said.
