Did PM Modi celebrate Diwali in Kashmir for votes: BJP asks opposition

Asserting that the opposition creating noise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to celebrate Dussehra in Lucknow was nothing but a sign of their 'insecurity', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday stated that his visit to the poll-bound state must not be politicised but lauded instead, as it was a historic move.

Speaking to ANI here, BJP leader Sambit Patra stated that when the Prime Minister went to Kashmir to celebrate Diwali and Siachen to be with the jawans, the opposition never asked if he did so in order to garner votes.

"What is there to politicise? Lucknow is also part of India and he is the Prime Minister of the country. So what if he goes and celebrates amidst the poor and the farmers of U.P? This is not an issue," he said.

"Why are they raising questions now when he is going to Lucknow in a historic move? This only shows the sense of insecurity dwelling in the hearts of the opposition parties," Patra added.

Yesterday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav dubbed Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to the state capital to attend the Dussehra celebrations as politically motivated with an eye on the upcoming state assembly polls.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar on Tuesday also attacked Prime Minister Modi, saying it would have been nice had he visited Kashmir to celebrate this festival.

"Today, Kashmir is burning, and we would have liked if he (Prime Minister Modi) would have visited Kashmir again to celebrate Dussehra as he went their earlier to celebrate Diwali," Raj Babbar told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiments, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday dubbed Prime Minister's Modi's visit to Lucknow a political stunt and said that the event should have been toned down taking into account the loss suffered by the families of soldiers killed in the Uri terror attack.