BJP, Cong use religion for political ends: CSDS prof

Tribune News Service

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Sirsa, November 22

Tributes were paid to Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of Poora Sach, on his 13th death anniversary in “Chhatrapati Smriti Samaroh” organised by NGO Samvad here today.

Chhatrapati was shot at by assailants outside his house in Sirsa on October 24, 2002. He succumbed to injuries on November 21 that year.

The Chhatrapati Award for this year was conferred on Abhay Kumar Dubey, associate professor in the Centre for the Study of the Developing Societies (CSDS).

Dubey delivered the keynote address on “Sampardayikta ki hod mein hamari rajneeti” (Politics in times of communalism). “Both BJP and Congress practice politics of religion. The Congress practised communalism in a veiled manner, while the BJP does it openly,” he said.

Dubey said, “India has a pluralist society with secularism being the essence of our Constitution. There should be no place for communalism in our country.”

People needed to be vigilant to defeat the designs of those trying to win elections by igniting religious sentiments, he added.

Other speakers, including Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and former college principal Shubha, expressed concern at the growing intolerance in the country. They said threats to the freedom of expression were more severe than ever before.