Please don’t preach us ‘Raj Dharma’, BJP hits out at Sonia Gandhi; Congress hits back

New Delhi, February 28

The BJP on Friday hit out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi for reminding the Centre of its ‘Raj Dharma’, as it alleged that the communal violence in northeast Delhi was an outcome of “instigation” by Opposition leaders.

The BJP’s remarks came a day after the Congress leaders, led by Sonia Gandhi, met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum demanding resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for “abdication of duty” during the communal violence in northeast Delhi. She had also reminded the Centre for its ‘Raj Dharma’ and protecting the people from all faiths in the country.

Addressing a press conference at the party office, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Shah was very proactive from the very first day of the violence to stop it.

Asked about controversial remarks made by the BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra and Pravesh Verma, Prasad said the party doesn’t approve such statements.

“Sonia Gandhi, please don’t preach us ‘Raj Dharma’; your record is full of twists and turns,” Prasad said, while adding that NPR was started by the Congress-led regime.

“If Congress does something, it is good. But if we do the same thing, they provoke the people. What type of rajdharma is this?” he asked.

Referring to the Congress chief’s remarks of “fight to finish” at a rally in Ramlila Maidan last year, Prasad asked whether such remarks do not constitute provocation.

The Union Minister alleged that the Congress could stoop to any level for “vote-bank” politics, adding that it should act responsibly for maintaining peace and harmony in country.

He accused the Congress of changing its stand on granting citizenship to persecuted minorities in the neighbouring countries.

“For Congress, the party and the family comes before the country,” he alleged.

Indira, Manmohan’s ‘Raj Dharma’ was of equality, harmony: Cong   

The Congress on Friday hit back at the BJP, saying its leaders like Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh believed in equality and harmony, while the Modi government has a “divisive mindset”.

“Indira ji, Rajiv ji, Manmohan Singh ji’s Rajdharma, was that Rajdharma, in which equality, harmony was given priority. What you are doing, there is prejudice in that; there is a divisive mindset,” the Congress posted on its official Twitter handle.

Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi asserted that the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are linked with the additional questions being added to the NPR.

Singhvi’s assertion at a press conference came after BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the communal violence in northeast Delhi was an outcome of “instigation” by Opposition leaders.

Prasad said the NPR was started by the Congress-led regime. “If Congress does something, it is good. But if we do the same thing, they provoke the people. What type of raj dharma is this?” he asked.

Hitting back at Prasad, Singhvi said, “Arrest all of us because we are speaking peacefully in a democratic country against what we believe is a wrong move. I am saying it right now and daring anyone to arrest me, that the NRC is wrong.”

“If you thing that is sedition. If you think that is anti-national. If you think that is provocation and incitement. I think it is a matter of shame if we have to live in a country where this free speech without violence, peaceful protest without violence is so treated,” he said.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also hit out at the BJP over Prasad’s remarks on NPR and asked why doesn’t he implement it in Bihar.

The BJP-JD(U) speaking one language in Bihar and another in Delhi, he said.

The Bihar Assembly recently passed a unanimous resolution against the new format of NPR and NRC.

Singhvi stated categorically, that according to the Congress, NRC is unconstitutional and wrong and should not happen.

“It divides the country. If you have courage…and if i am doing something unconstitutional, I am inciting somebody and doing something anti-national, then you should arrest me,” he said.

Referring to the Congress chief’s remarks of “fight to finish” at a rally in Ramlila Maidan last year, Prasad asked whether such remarks do not constitute provocation.

Slamming Prasad, the Congress said the BJP will not understand the fight to finish.

“Across that line are thieves, capitalist friend, rapists and hate and you are promoting it all,” the party said in a tweet.

“Across this line are farmers, labourers, poor, women, youth and the protector of their interests – Congress,” it said. PTI