MADURAI, Apr 8: Finance Minister P Chidambaram today accused the BJP of deliberately attempting to polarise voters by raking up “poisonous and divisive” issues like Ram Temple in Ayodhya to consolidate its vote bank without bothering about those who will not vote for them.
Addressing a press conference here, he said what was of great concern in the BJP manifesto was the inclusion of issues that would divide the country, create controversies and disrupt social harmony.
Chidambaram described as “poisonous thoughts” the BJP’s manifesto promises on the issue of construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in the place where Babri Masjid stood, imposition of uniform civil code on all and abrogation of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
He accused the BJP of enacting a drama over the past more than 10 years by appearing to have kept these issues on the back burner.
“But now, it appears that by raising these poisonous thoughts the BJP wants to polarise the voters before elections. It seems to be keen on getting and consolidating their own vote bank and telling those who do not vote that we do not want your votes,” Chidambaram said.
The senior Congress leader said the consolidation of its vote bank reflects the BJP’s majoritarian approach. “I charge the BJP with deliberately attempt to polarise voters. I do not think they care for the people, who do not vote for them. They want to merely consolidate their vote bank.”
On various other issues, Chidambaram said the BJP manifesto was a copy of the Congress Government’s policies and programmes in the last 10 years.
“It’s a copy, not even a cut and paste job. It is a copy of our ideas. It’s not wrong to copy but they should acknowledge,” he said.
He said the manifesto also refers to the rule by Governments in the last 67 years, but conveniently forgets that out of this the BJP was also in power at the Centre for eight years.
The BJP was also in power in various states for more than 10 or 15 years, he said, wondering “whether it is ignorance or mischievous”. (PTI)
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