Claims of 'migration' BJP's tactic to divide people: CPI

CPI today targeted BJP over its claims of migration of Hindus from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, saying it's a tactic to "communally polarise" voters ahead of the assembly polls in the state next year as the party is "not confident of the Prime Minister's popularity helping it win there".
"They are raking up the (exodus) issue keeping an eye on the UP Assembly polls. They are trying to divide people on communal lines.
"This shows how desperate BJP is. It is not confident of winning the election, it is not confident of Modi's popularity helping it win," CPI National Secretary D Raja said.

Raja also sought to pick holes in BJP's development talk, saying the central government has failed to create jobs and the economy is in a bad shape. "People cannot be cheated all the time by this development talk. So, such tactics will not work in UP," he said.
Earlier in the day, BJP MP Hukum Singh said the "migration" of Hindus from Kairana in western UP was "not communal" in nature but had more to do with the law and order situation even as he claimed the number of families that had to flee can go up to 400-500.
The Kairana MP had earlier released a list of 346 families who had been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The Shamli District Magistrate had, however, said some people left the town not because of "communal" activity but due to "economic reasons".