Yogi blames Muslims for communal riots; Cong, Left up in arms

BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on Sunday came under attack from Congress and Left parties for his controversial remarks on the minority community even as BJP accused Samajwadi Party of creating communal tension in Uttar Pradesh.

‘It is an unfortunate and condemnable statement,’ Congress leader Rashid Alvi said a day after the firebrand BJP leader attacked the minority community, saying riots happen wherever they are more than 10 per cent in numbers.

‘He always makes statements which can lead to disputes. It is very unfortunate to talk such things about a particular community,’ Alvi said.

CPI leader D Raja termed as ‘absurd’ the Gorakhpur MP’s remarks.

‘It also shows the rabid communal interpretation of the situation since Muslims are some 20 per cent or more, that causes communal strife. This is absurd and it shows the hatred of these people towards Muslims,’ he said.

Reacting cautiously, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, ‘We do not look at communal riots through the prism of any religion or community.’ 

Alleging that communal tension has increased in UP on a daily basis ever since Samajwadi Party came to power, the BJP vice-president said, ‘Samajwadi Party and its leadership are responsible for the communal riots which have happened on such a large scale.’ 

He said, ‘Everybody --be it Hindu, Muslim or Sikh --has suffered from it and is a victim of this.’ 

Adityanath, who is among three party leaders entrusted with leading the BJP campaign for the upcoming bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh, had said Hindus will reply ‘in the same language’ if they are subjected to attacks or forcible conversions.