Ramesh accuses BJP of practicing 'frightening level' of communal polarization

The BJP is practising 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 practising 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

"The only explanation I have for the UP win of the BJP is the frightening level of communal polarization which incidentally they have been trying to do in the states now also. They are doing this in Chhattisgarh and certainly in MP and Rajasthan," Ramesh told PTI in an interview over the weekend.

Ramesh further alleged that the modern name of 'tanashaahi' (dictatorship) was Amit Shah and that Narendra Modi was "not prime ministerial" in his election campaign as he indulged in "falsification of history and abuse of political rivals". He said Modi should not demand respect but should command the respect of people as prime minister.

The senior Congress leader also alleged that "false news" was the biggest enterprise in "Make in India" under the Modi government, as he accused the BJP of "manufacturing" issues out of non-issues.

The 64-year-old former union minister, who is part of the Congress core group for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll planning, said there were two types of communal polarization the BJP was indulging across the country.

"One is overt polarization, which is the language used by Mr Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi. Then there is covert polarization done by the RSS and its people through the word of mouth and house to house," Ramesh said.

"Mr Amit Shah is a good example of a person who preaches and practices the politics of overt polarization" and that "for every Amit Shah there are 10 'Amit Shahs' of the RSS who are practising and preaching covert polarization. That is what happened in UP," he alleged.

Ramesh said the Opposition "tends to miss" overt polarization and also the seriousness of covert polarization.

To a query about whether the Congress has managed to address the issue of polarization, Ramesh said, "It is a huge challenge and it is not just an electoral challenge".

"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."

On why Congress leaders like CP Joshi continue to speak out of turn and make casteist remarks to aid the politics of polarization, Ramesh said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had come out very clearly against this.

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."

Asked if Congress leaders continued to defy the party chief by making statements that harm the party's interests, he said he does not blame the leaders as their statements, including himself, have been distorted by the BJP.

"I think this is 'Make in India', Make in BJP. Fake news is the biggest enterprise in 'Make in India' during the BJP regime. The fact is that Mr Modi himself, during his election campaign, indulges in the falsification of facts, he indulges in falsification of history," he alleged.

"He is not prime ministerial in his campaign. After all Prime Minister is Prime Minister. Whoever the individual, the position of PM must be respected.

"(But) the PM should not demand respect, he should command respect. It is no use Mr Modi demanding respect. He should command respect. The way he distorts history, the way he falsifies facts, the way he abuses his political opponents. And look at the way Mr Amit Shah has been talking of the NRC for example, calling people 'termites'," he said, training his guns on the prime minister for his attacks on the Congress and the Gandhi family.

"Amit Shah is the new word of 'tanashaahi'. The modern phrase of 'tanashaahi' is Amit Shah," he said.

Ramesh also pointed out to the manner in which the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has been "bludgeoned into submission" and its rights eroded and how institutional autonomy has been compromised.

"The 'institutional capture' by the RSS and the BJP is bizarre," he said.

Ramesh claimed that the mood of the people in the states going to Assembly polls was clearly in favour of the Congress and the Congress would fare well.

He also did not consider this as a "semi-final" to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but said the important decisions of the Modi government — like demonetisation, farm crisis and the Rafale deal � will certainly have an impact in these state polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)