Modi polarizing voters out of fear of losing: Cong

NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday accused Narendra Modi of trying religious polarization out of fear of defeat, saying the recent comments and actions of BJP leaders had exposed the true face of the party's prime ministerial candidate who has been claiming to campaign on the developmental plank.

AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said Modi had invoked Lord Ram to seek votes in Faizabad while his confidant Amit Shah had painted an entire community and district with the brush of terrorism by saying that Azamgarh had become a hub of terrorists. He said as it if was not enough, Modi said in Bengal that only those who worshipped Goddess Durga would be allowed to stay in the state.

"The objective of all these statements and actions is to create a divisive climate to polarize society on religious lines," Singhvi said.

Congress also took exception to Modi's accusation that the Election Commission was allowing poll malpractices, saying it was like a "losing team blaming the referee". "This is an unbroken chain since his attack on the former CEC by naming him in full as James Michael Lyngdoh... this is old style divisive politics," Singhvi said.

The BJP has triggered a row with a clutch of statements and actions in the last two days, ranging from Shah's comment about Azamgarh to the portrait of Lord Ram in the backdrop of Modi's rally in Faizabad to Modi's comment in Bengal about expelling people. "In one fell swoop, entire Azamgarh has become a terror hub," the AICC spokesman chided the BJP, referring to Shah as Modi's special agent in UP.

"This is frustration, desperation and fear writ large on the face of BJP and Modi," he said. The Congress also asked the EC to register an FIR against Modi and other party leaders for using religion for canvassing.

"BJP and Modi have used the portrait of Lord Ram, which is strategically placed behind the podium from where the speech is being delivered by him. The headgear of Lord Ram fits on the head of Modi as can be seen in the video, when he is delivering the speech which deceives the gullible voter," secretary of AICC's legal department K C Mittal said in a letter to EC.

"It is a very serious matter and clear violation of the law and also the model code of conduct for which all of them are liable to be prosecuted including Modi. It is therefore, requested that FIR should be registered against all of them and the BJP may be derecognized," Mittal said.

In another complaint, Congress protested against the distribution of "objectionable" and "malicious" booklets in Amethi by BJP and Aam Aadmi Party. The party warned EC about gathering of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal volunteers to "destabilize" the polls and asked the poll panel to put preventive measures in place.