New Delhi: Taking objection to Ghulam Nabi Azad’s “Hindu brothers don't call me for campaigning now” comment, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra today said the Congress is leader is belittling the Hindu community and is desiring to campaign in Pakistan. Addressing a press conference and without inviting questions, Patra said: "The Hindu community firmly believes in secularism and always believe in 'vasudhaika kutumbam'. To say that Hindus have any kind of ill feelings towards Ghulam Nabi Azad and Salman Khurshid is belittling the Hindu community. I feel, Azadji, you want to campaign in Pakistan because you no longer are fond of Hindus in India and that is why Congress is advertising its Modi-hatao campaign in Pakistan.”

Azad had at event in Lucknow on Wednesday stated that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him to campaign for them has reduced. Azad said since his days as a youth leader he has been campaigning across the country for a number of party candidates belonging to the Hindu community but the situation has changed in the past four years. He blamed the BJP for the shift in mindset.

"Since the days of the Youth Congress, I have been campaigning across the country from Andaman Nicobar to Lakshadweep. 95 per cent of those who used to call me were Hindu brothers and leaders, and just five per cent were Muslim brothers," the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha was quoted by news agency ANI.



"But in the last four years, I have observed that the figure of 95 has dropped to just 20 per cent. This means that there is something wrong. Today people hesitate in calling me, thinking that it would affect their vote banks," Azad explained.

Azad was speaking at the event to mark the 201st birth anniversary of the University founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.