BJP attacks JD(U), Congress; raises questions on new bonhomie

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jun 20 2013 | 9:10 PM IST
Miffed at the growing proximity between JD(U) and Congress, BJP today alleged that the ruling party at the Centre is trying to divert attention from its failures by talking about secularism.
The party also wondered how its former NDA ally is praising Congress after being critical about it for so long.
"Whenever Congress is faced with trouble, imminent defeat, peoples' anger, failure on development front and engulfed in corruption, they always try to divert attention of the people from the real issues and bring their old raga of secularism versus communalism," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.
He challenged Congress to "be brave" and join the debate on the development issue with the main opposition party.
Naidu charged Congress with being the "most communal" party. "It always adopts communal approach and divisive politics," he said.
Referring to the alliance between Congress and Muslim League as well as the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen), BJP sought to know how it can claim to be secular.
"It is really ironical that our friend Nitish Kumar is happy and thanking the Prime Minister for giving him a certificate that he is secularist. What is the locus-standi and credibility of the Congress party to give such certificates?" Naidu asked.
Congress support to the JD(U) government in Bihar also drew criticism from the BJP leader, who said his party cannot understand how Nitish Kumar is comfortable with this fact (Congress support) as he has been critical of the party till yesterday.
"There seems to be something more than what meets the eye behind the withdrawal of JD(U) from the NDA," Naidu said.
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First Published: Jun 20 2013 | 9:10 PM IST

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