Digvijay Singh slams Advani for raising Ram temple issue during UP campaign

Gorakhpur/Badaun, Feb 6 (ANI): Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani for raising the contentious Ram temple- Babri mosque row before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections

Addressing a public meeting here, Singh said: "First we want to know what happened to the funds that were generated in the name of building the temple? You always raise the issue of mosques and temples in order to create communal tension. You have brought insult to your community by spreading fear."

"The BJP used to raise the slogan- we don't say that all Muslims are militants but why is that all militants are found to be Muslims? But now things are clear. Mr. Advani I want to know that all Hindus are not militants but why is it that all people involved with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are caught in militancy related incidents," Singh added.

Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Digvijay Singh said: "You (Mayawati) are no longer a daughter of the Dalits, you have become the daughter of Daulat (wealth).

" What have you done for the poor here? In Lucknow you got stone elephants constructed worth 10 million dollars each. Will those statues be able to feed the stomach of people? Had you made one elephant less then you would have been able to convert the thatches into permanent homes for millions of Dalits. Then we would have thought something of you," Singh added.

The polls in Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

Polls in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted between February 8 and March 3. Counting will take place on March 6.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)