Congress accuses BJP of practicing 'casteist' politics to break unity of agitating farmers

Congress on Tuesday launched an attack on the BJP and claimed that the party was trying to break the unity of farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws by using the name of freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh. Congress further accused BJP of playing "casteist" politics. This statement by Congress on the same day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a university in Aligarh, which will be named after the freedom fighter. 

Congress attacks BJP 

Congress spokesperson Hilal Naqvi said that Mahendra Pratap Singh had called the RSS fascist and had struggled throughout his life against it. He said, "In fact, in the 1957 Parliamentary elections, Raja Mahendra Pratap had not only defeated Atal Bihari Vajpayee but also ensured that his deposits were forfeited."

"Troubled by the siege of farmers, the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi government in UP, instead of withdrawing the anti-farmer agricultural laws, want to break their unity by playing a casteist card by calling great revolutionary Raja Mahendra Pratap a Jat king," said Hilal Naqvi .

Taking yet another jibe at the Prime Minister, the Congress spokesperson said that after laying the foundation stone of the university, PM Modi said the revolutionaries who were not honoured earlier are being given proper respect now. But the BJP has remembered Raja Mahendra Pratap only now, just months before the Assembly polls, he added. 

"The BJP''s politics is contrary to the ideals of Raja Mahendra Pratap. The BJP has consistently harvested votes by making the Hindus and Muslims fight while Raja Mahendra Pratap wanted an India in which Hindus and Muslims live like brothers," said Hilal Naqvi.

Protest against the Farm Laws

The agitating farmers have been protesting against the Centre's three laws since November, last year, demanding a complete abrogation. The protests escalated after the agitating farmers broke down barricades and entered Delhi which led to a massive clash between protesters and the police. The farmers then hoisted the SKM flag at the Red Flag on Republic Day.

After the violence witnessed on Republic Day, Delhi police sealed the borders of the national capital by cementing nails near barricades, deploying additional troops, adding barbed wires, etc at Ghazipur and Tikri borders, blocking complete access to the roads. The protests had cooled down due to the devastating second wave of COVID.

(Image: ANI, PTI)