Venkaiah Naidu slams Rahul Gandhi over his attack on BJP, Sangh Parivar

Hyderabad: A day after Rahul Gandhi’s veiled attack on the BJP and Sangh Parivar, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday blasted him saying one who expresses solidarity with extremists, fundamentalists and communalists was trying to preach about the unity of the country despite having “no moral right” to do so. [caption id=“attachment_2932286” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Venkaiah Naidu. PTI[/caption] Terming Rahul’s remarks as “the pot calling the kettle black”, Naidu also lashed out at the Congress and said its politics of appeasement and vote bank has widened the divide between majority and minority. He also asked why the party has encouraged fundamentalist and communal forces. Holding Congress responsible for complicating the Kashmir issue, the senior BJP leader accused it of being hard on nationalists, while going soft on terrorists. Yesterday, while addressing a function in New Delhi, Rahul had made a veiled attack on the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, saying there are forces which are “promoting” disharmony and are seeking a “divided and divisive” India. Taking a strong exception to the remarks, Naidu said the Narendra Modi-led government was trying to bring social harmony and focusing on oneness in nation. “The remarks are like the pot calling the kettle black. It is the Congress party which has preached, practiced divisive politics in the country in last 50 years and it has always encouraged fundamentalist forces and communal elements. It has thrived its politics on caste, region and religion,” he alleged. “It is divisive politics coupled with vote bank politics practiced by Congress that has brought our country to the present situation,” Naidu alleged. “It is the appeasement politics of Congress that has widened the divide between majority and minority, though nothing worthwhile has been done to minorities…and it is the legacy of the Congress regime that has complicated the Kashmir issue,” he said. “Don’t raise an accusing finger against the BJP, it will boomerang on you. You have played vote bank politics; you never bothered to bring unity in the minds of the people; you have ruled the country for more than 50 years and ruined the country. How dare you criticise our ideology, you have no moral right to do that,” Naidu said. Questioning Congress on what social harmony that the party has brought in all these years, Naidu asked who is responsible for the present state of affairs right from the practice of untouchability, to social disharmony amongst the people. “It is your politics, it is your divisive agenda which is responsible for the present situation,” he said.