BJP practicing 'frightening level' of communal polarization in poll campaign, alleges Ramesh

The BJP is practicing a "frightening level" of communal polarization in its campaign in election-bound states, senior Congress leader and party strategist Jairam Ramesh has alleged, adding this was more than an electoral challenge for the Congress.

Ramesh also alleged that for every Amit Shah, the BJP chief, there are "10 Amit Shahs" of the RSS practicing covert polarization, comments that came amid renewed calls for construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya.

The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have previously accused the Congress of dividing the society by indulging in caste and religious politics and appeasement of minorities, in response to allegations of communal polarisation.

Ramesh said the high degree of communal polarization the BJP allegedly resorted to was responsible for the "staggering" mandate for the party in the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh last year and it was continuing in the poll-bound states
"It is a challenge we have to face whether in power or outside," the Congress leader said, describing the battle with the RSS as a "long drawn out" one. "It is not a one-off thing. It is a long drawn out battle."
Blaming the BJP for making an issue out of it, he alleged, "the BJP is very skilled at creating issues out of non-issues, at manipulation of news."