Congress slams BJP, Sangh over politics of polarisation

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP and the Sangh Parivar outfits of doing politics of polarisation by fomenting "division and mutual mistrust" for votes after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's Ballabhgarh's visit was mocked at.

Taking pot-shots at Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described as "photo-opportunity" his visit to Ballabhgarh on Wednesday to meet members of a Dalit family which lost its two children in an arson attack on their house on Tuesday by upper caste members.

The two children - Vaibhav, 3, and eight-month-old Divya - suffered serious burn injuries and died in the fire early Tuesday. They were asleep with their parents in the house in Sunped village in Ballabhgarh, 60 km from Delhi, when a mob torched the house.

The children's mother is being treated at Safdarjung Hospital for 50 percent burns but father Jitendra Kumar was discharged after treatment for burn injuries he suffered on his hands.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters that meeting the victims of such a big tragedy was not a photo-opportunity but projecting the prime minister in the "Mann ki Baat", "Yoga Divas" and "Swachch Bharat Abhiyan" was more of a photo-opportunity.

Slamming the BJP, Sangh Parivar and organisations affiliated with it, Singhvi accused them of fomenting conflict and contradictions among sections of people to promote their "cheap politics".

"Can you think a thing like Dadri can happen in the 21st century?" Singhvi asked the reporters as he recounted a series of incidents, including killing of a truck driver, desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and other incidents in different parts of the country in the recent times.