KOCHI: The BJP is trying to create new communal issues across the country even after the Ayodhya dispute was settled, NCP national president Sharad Pawar has said. Raking up the Gyanvapi mosque issue in Varanasi is one such attempt, he said.
“The BJP is trying to disrupt religious harmony in the country. The communal forces have a free run in the country under their regime. Such forces are a threat to the very existence of the country,” he said while delivering the inaugural address at the party’s Kerala state delegate meet held in Kochi on Tuesday. The movie ‘Kashmir Files’ is also an attempt in this regard. “The crew of the movie are affiliated with the ruling party. The Union government is facilitating the vicious attempts to divide Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir,” he added.
Pawar also accused the BJP of trying to make Varanasi a new issue after Ayodhya. “The BJP had earlier told the people that there would be peace in the country if the Ayodhya issue was resolved. But now the BJP is trying to create a new issue in Varanasi. The BJP’s objective is to deliberately create issues to upset minorities. They intentionally divert public attention from issues including fuel price hike,” the Maharashtra strongman said.
The NCP would take up the fight against the BJP forward with like-minded secular parties, he said.
He directed the party leaders to create more representation in the Left Democratic Front in Kerala. He demanded more seats for the party in the next elections. “The party in Kerala has changed a lot,” he said, hailing party state president P C Chacko.
Praful warns state leaders against flouting discipline
Praful Patel, NCP national general secretary, warned that flouting of the party discipline would not be allowed in the state unit. “The internal issues should be raised only in party forums. The senior leaders of the party should intervene to resolve the internal bickering. No one should go public or to the media with the complaints. Different opinions among party leaders are quite natural, but those should be discussed in party forums,” he said.