Congress steps up attack on 'intolerance'

Sonia, party leaders to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre of “fostering an atmosphere of intolerance” in the country. Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with senior party leaders and legislators will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday.

The party has been vocal in its onslaught on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for communal polarisation and for instilling fear among the minorities. After protest by writers, historians, and intellectuals, the Congress would be taking the lead among political parties in voicing its protest.

Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots to “divert attention” from the charges against the NDA government.

Sharma said, “He should act as Prime Minister of India. He should not be thinking or acting like a BJP leader or an RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) pracharak. He should fulfil his Constitutional and moral duty as India’s Prime Minister.”

Alleging that the Prime Minister is an “endorser of intolerance by his studied silence”, Sharma said: “Like in 2002, Modi has forgotten raj dharma in 2015.”

He said it was ironical that Modi invokes former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee regularly. The latest move by the Congress got support from Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), its ally in the Bihar polls.

JD(U)’s Rajya Sabha member K C Tyagi said: “I support the decision of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi who are planning to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is a unique way to protest intolerance.”

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja said: “It is not only scholars, artists, writers and historians and scientists, but even the industrialists are worried about the situation. They cannot run industries in this atmosphere.”

Political observers see the Congress’ recent moves as a change in its strategy. In the aftermath of the Lok sabha rout in 2014, several Congress insiders were of the view that the party had gone overboard in embracing the minorities, thereby distancing the Hindu votes. Several leaders including A K Anthony had said the party needed to do a “course correction”. However, in the changed atmosphere with accusations of intolerance being levelled against the BJP-led government, the Congress seems to have changed this view.