CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday alleged that the BJP had turned the slogan "Vande Mataram", which signifies respect for the motherland, into a language of hatred.
He accused the BJP of following a divisive political model in Haryana by repeatedly pitting communities against each other. He said the state has been divided along multiple lines over the years- Jat versus non-Jat, Punjabi versus Aggarwal, Ravidasia versus Valmiki among the poor, Sikh versus Hindu, and attempts to create divisions between Brahmins and economically weaker sections.
The Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the party polarised communities in Mewat by dividing Hindus and Muslims.
The leader said that the spread of hatred has reached such an extent that even Kaithal-Kapisthal, regarded as a sacred land associated with Lord Krishna's teachings, is witnessing people abusing and branding their own as outsiders.
Appealing to the people of Haryana, especially the youth and farmers, he asked who was responsible for sowing the "crop of hatred" in a state known for feeding the nation through agriculture.
He said the time for silence was over and urged people to rise above divisions and follow the message of love, duty and righteousness as taught in the Bhagavad Gita.
When the law appears helpless before offenders, the only remaining hope lies in the collective conscience and wisdom of the people of Haryana, Surjewala said.