'Very unfortunate' 2014 being fought on communal lines: SP

They also called for political parties to unite to defeat communalism in the country

Citing Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's involvement in Uttar Pradesh politics and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's recent remark on Muslim youth victims being contacted by Pakistani agencies in the aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar riots, Samajwadi Party leader Kamal Faruqui on Friday expressed concern over divisive politics becoming a common theme in the lead-up to the 2014 General Elections.

Faruqui also called for political parties to unite to defeat communalism in the country, which he said, was a bigger threat than any external enemy.

"It is very unfortunate that these elections are being fought on the communal line. The involvement of Mr. Modi in the UP politics and the all-India politics by importing Mr. Amit Shah from Gujarat to UP, and immediately after that to have so many flare ups in UP. (Even) Rahul Gandhi's statement was very unfortunate," Faruqui said.

" It's very, very unfortunate and I appeal to all the political parties that it is very important for us to fight the communal menace of the country and I personally feel that more than terrorism, it is communal that is killing my country. We can fight any enemy who is attacking our country from outside, but if we are ourselves divided, it will be very unfortunate for the country," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, while continuing with his claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been igniting communal fires across the country, Rahul Gandhi revealed at a rally in Indore that 10 to 15 Muslim boys, who lost their families in the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, are being contacted by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Targetting the BJP, the Congress number two alleged that the opposition party is solely interested in gathering votes, while it is left to the ruling party to cool down the anger that survives in the aftermath of communal violence.

Meanwhile, the BJP has constantly raked up the 1984, 1967 and 1969 communal riots to target the ruling party in the lead-up to the 2014 General Elections.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.