Modi raking up 'Hindu-Muslim' in speeches to prepone Lok Sabha elections: Mayawati

Attacking Narendra Modi for his speeches on his two-day Uttar Pradesh visit, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said the Prime Minister is preparing ground to call for early Lok Sabha elections.

Mayawati (Photo: PTI/File)

LUCKNOW: Attacking Narendra Modi for his speeches on his two-day Uttar Pradesh visit, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said the Prime Minister is preparing ground to call for early Lok Sabha elections. Mayawati said it was evident from prime minister's recent speeches that the BJP wants to advance the general elections scheduled for 2019. "The way Modi is raking up Hindu-Muslim and Shamsham-Kabristan in his rallies, it seems Lok Sabha elections will be preponed," she said. Mayawati's remark comes a day after Modi slammed the opposition parties while on the issue of triple talaq in his Azamgarh rally. Modi said the real face of the opposition was revealed by their approach on triple talaq. "Is there any place for the dignity and the rights of Muslim women? They (opposition parties) have stalled legislation in Parliament, and they do not allow Parliament to run," Modi said. Modi also mocked Congress for being a party which stood only with Muslim men. Raking up the reported remarks of Congress President Rahul Gandhi that Congress is a party for Muslims, Modi on Saturday said he was not "surprised" by that but asked whether it's a party for Muslim men alone. The Congress on Sunday said Modi's remark that it was a party for Muslim men only highlighted his "sick mentality". "The prime minister has continuously hurt the dignity of his office. We strictly oppose what he said yesterday. It shows his sick mentality and twisted mindset," senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said. "There is an attempt by him to divide society... His main opposition, the INC, has led the national movement, spearheaded the fight for independence... to call it a Muslim party does not behove a PM. "His sick mindset is an issue of national concern. The prime minister gives out statements which are wrong as per history and facts," Sharma said. The Congress leader said Modi was the prime minister of the entire country and not only of the BJP. He said Modi had "less knowledge of history and writes his own history". Modi needs to be reminded that Congress presidents such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Maulana Azad were iconic leaders, he said. "It will be better if he keeps a list of Congress presidents in his office. Maybe then he will leave his habit of giving wrong statements," Sharma said. The Congress, he said, was a party "for all Indians and respects the diversity the country has to offer". (With inputs from PTI)