Accusing the BJP and Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party(SP) of seeking to cause polarisation in the state on communal lines, the Congress on Monday said it party will observe fast for harmony on 10 October following the incident in Dadri in which a man was lynched following rumours that he ate beef.
Congress spokesperson R.P. N Singh tweeted, “This BJP, SP polarisation of UP must end! All of us Congress workers will observe a Sadbhavna fast for harmony on the 10th of October.”
Singh also slammed Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azam Khan over his remarks that he will raise the trend of rising communal violence in India in the United Nations.
Singh tweeted, “Azam Khan should first read the Indian constitution before speaking.”
Congress also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “break his” silence over the remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders over the lynching incident.
Party leader Pramod Tiwari said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains a deafening silence qua the inflammatory, provocative and incendiary statements aimed at rabble-rousing by union ministers and BJP leaders.”
On 28 September, 50-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq, a resident of Bishara village of Dadri in Greater Noida near Delhi, was dragged out of his home and lynched following rumours that he ate beef. The family has denied the allegations. Akhlaq’s 21-year-old son Danish was critically injured in the incident.
Tiwari said that Congress workers will hold a fast on 10 October in Dadri area.
Referring to Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi’s remarks about party banning cow slaughter in the state if it wins assembly polls, he said there was a ban on cow slaughter in a majority of states and it was banned in Bihar in 1955.