Sonia's appeal to Muslim leaders violation of Model Code: BJP

New Delhi: Taking strong objection to Sonia Gandhi’s appeal to Muslim leaders to ensure their votes are not split, BJP today termed it is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and asked the Election Commission to take suo motu note of it. The principal opposition party also accused Congress of playing communal politics and dubbed the ruling party as “pseudo secularist”. [caption id=“attachment_1456721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Going after the Congress. Reuters[/caption] Making such an appeal to the minority community was an insult to Muslims as everyone had the right to exercise their franchise independently and not on the basis of religion, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. “This is an insult to Muslims. Congress’ communal politics is exposed, because when yesterday a Muslim delegation under the leadership of (Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed) Bukhari met Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President appealed to them to ensure that their votes are not split,” he said. “This is absolute communal politics on display. This is absolutely unacceptable. This is also a violation of the Code of Conduct also because you cannot appeal to voters on the basis of religion and caste. We expect the Election Commission to take suo motu cognisance of this appeal,” Javadekar said. He said in a democracy every person is free to vote according to his or her conscience and not on the basis of religion. “That is the vote bank politics Congress is indulging in. This is what Congress is and stands completely exposed,” he said, challenging it for a debate on secularism. Javadekar said, “Here is a new definition of secularism. We are seeking votes in the name of the country - for progress, for good governance. We are called communal. And those, everybody who seeks votes in the name of religion and caste, they are called secularists. This is absolutely a perverted definition of secularisms. They are not secularists, they are pseudo secularists.” BJP President Rajnath Singh said, “Seeking support of somebody is not wrong. But Congress is a political party which has divided people.” Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said, “I think it is a matter of desperation. I have no difficulty in people going to all segments to ask for votes. But to indirectly impute that the majority vote in India is not a secular vote, that’s the impression I got when I read the news item.” “We challenge Congress to define secularism and will prove on every count that Congress is the most communal party and plays communal politics all over the country. This is an insult to the Muslim community as such,” Javadekar said. He said there are Muslims voting independently and not based on religion but on what they think is right, but Congress is making it to look as if the community will vote in one direction. A delegation of Muslim leaders led by the Shahi Imam had met the Congress President yesterday during which she asked them to ensure that secular votes did not split in the Lok Sabha elections. “During the meeting, issues like innocent Muslim youths being arrested in terror cases, reservation in education, communal riots and security, implementation of Sachar Committee and Ranganath Misra Commission recommendations and anti-communal violence bill were discussed,” Jama Masjid spokesperson Rahat Mehmood Chaudhary said. PTI