BJP created Taj Mahal controversy to divert attention from key issues, says Kanhaiya Kumar

Chandigarh: The controversy around the origin of Taj Mahal was created by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to divert attention from key issues, including the alleged increase in the wealth of its chief Amit Shah’s son, former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar alleged in Chandigarh on Monday. “The controversy over Taj Mahal was created by the BJP leadership to divert attention of the people from Jay Shah’s manifold increase in wealth,” he told reporters. A news website had made claims about a sharp increase in the wealth of a company linked with Jay Shah. Jay Shah as well as the BJP have outrightly rubbished the allegations. [caption id=“attachment_2684220” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kanhaiya Kumar. Image courtesy: CNN-News 18[/caption] On the upcoming Gujarat polls, Kumar said the graph of BJP had dipped. The student leader, however, said that he would not join any party to campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. “I will join active politics in near future. But I am not the agent of any political party,” he said. He stressed upon the need for a collective movement to bring change in the society. “Nothing can be done till we achieve equality for all. Politicians are using people for their benefits,” he said. He claimed the situation in the country was such that when a media house or a journalist tries to raise the real issues they are intimidated with Rs 100 crore defamation cases. Those who don’t get intimidated with cases, they are being killed, he alleged, and referred the killing of Bangalore-based journalist Gauri Lankesh in this context. “When you can’t express your views freely, it indicates that the very Constitution of India is in danger,” he said. He raised questions about the Election Commission’s decision regarding the scheduling of the Gujarat polls. He also criticised the Rajasthan government’s “draconian law” which bars the media from publishing any particulars against public servant till the government approves their prosecution. This move of the Rajasthan government is aimed to protect the corrupt, he said. He said that those raising their voice against the wrongdoings in the system were being branded as anti-nationals while those praising the government were declared nationalists. “There can not be two different standards. Healthy criticism has to be accepted in a positive way,” he said. Talking about demonetisation and GST, Kumar said it was a known fact that big fish eat small fish. “With both the decisions the government has facilitated the big fish to eat the small fish,” he said. The GST is deadly against the small businessman and causing much loss to them, he said. He said the government was dancing to the tunes of corporate houses while unemployment was a serious problem and corruption rampant. “Nothing much had happened in connection with the black money and only few industrialists are getting benefits in the present NDA regime,” he said. On suicides by farmers, he said there was a need for economic and political empowerment of peasants. Justifying reservation, he said there is nothing unconstitutional about it. “In private sector there is no reservation and most of the people are working in this sector,” he said.