Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava
New Delhi: At a time when the BJP is desperately trying to win support of the Muslim community under the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Monday ridiculed the main opposition party`s attempt to win over minorities.
Commenting on the Gujarat Chief Minister`s recent claim that he had got the support of 25% Muslims in his state, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said that it was a "false and baseless statement."
Attacking the BJP hardline leader, Alvi said, "Only two Muslim voters in the whole country may cast their votes in Narendra Modi`s favour. One belongs to Bihar (Shahnawaz Hussain) and another to Allahabad (Mukhtar Naqvi)."
Alvi said this in response to Modi`s appeal to his partymen to reach out to the minorities across the country.
In a separate incident, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh also took potshots at BJP and its campaign chief Modi over its campaigning slogan.
The senior Congress leader, who is also AICC- in-charge for Andhra Pradesh took to micro-blogging site Twitter saying, "Earlier, the BJP`s slogan was `Bhay, Bhook, Brashtachar Mukt Bharat` but for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi it is `Congress Mukt Bharat`. Writing on Twitter, Singh said, "Now in Modi`s BJP, BHAY BHOOK BRASHTACHAR MUKT BHARAT is no longer an issue. Would the BJP Think Tank or the Spokespersons pl respond?(sic)."
"Isn`t Modi`s and now BJP`s slogan of CONGRESS MUKT BHARAT, FASCIST? Would all other non BJP Non Communal Political Parties pl respond?(sic)," the senior Congress leader said. It may be noted that Modi is most likely to be anointed as BJP`s PM candidate following his appointment as the party`s 2014 poll campaign panel chief.
Ever since, Congress has sharpened its attack on the BJP`s poster boy who is likely to lead the major opposition party in next year`s General Elections.