Orchha (MP), Aug 31 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday accused the Congress of pursuing Muslim appeasement for electoral gains and said the party had opposed parts of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ even before Independence and was continuing to do so even now.
Addressing the concluding session of the BJP’s state executive committee meeting in the temple town of Orchha in Niwari district, Yadav alleged that the Congress had used the Muslim community as a “vote bank”, but had failed to work for its development.
“The Congress has always taken votes from the Muslim community and come to power, but it never worked for its development. It used Muslims as a vote bank,” the BJP leader claimed.
He stated that the Congress had sought to divide Hindus and Muslims, and noted the 141-year-old party was following the same approach on ‘Vande Mataram’ as it had adopted before Independence.
Yadav urged BJP workers to reach out to people across the state, highlight the achievements of the BJP governments at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh, and build public opinion against what he described as the Congress’ appeasement politics.
The chief minister’s remarks came amid a renewed political dispute over the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’. The BJP has accused the Congress of appeasing minorities after the Opposition party’s decision to sing only the first two stanzas of the national song, instead of its full rendition, at its programmes.
Last month, Parliament passed a bill that makes any insult to the national song, whose full official version has six stanzas, a punishable offence.
Yadav insisted Opposition parties were adopting a “double-faced” approach on political issues.
Referring to the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Madhya Pradesh, he claimed that the Congress had not openly objected to the UCC, but instead put forward two of its Muslim MLAs to voice opposition to the measure, a single set of personal laws for all state residents.
He asserted the ruling BJP would continue to take its message on development and political agenda to the people across Madhya Pradesh. PTI BNS LAL RSY
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