BJP accuses Congress, SP, BSP of protecting militants in UP

Moradabad/ Gorakhpur/ Shahjahanpur, Feb 8 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has accused the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of protecting militants and extremist groups during their respective regimes in Uttar Pradesh.

"In the eight-year rule of these parties in Uttar Pradesh, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and HuJI have made several areas of the state as hubs of their anti-national activities. Such extremist outfits have been given protection by these political parties and due to this, militant groups have thrived here. If the BJP comes to power, these forces will be destroyed," Naqvi told reporters in Moradabad on Tuesday.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also cornered the Congress over corruption, price rise and minority reservation.

"Not only the corruption and price rise have prevailed under the Congress-led government's rule, but they have also committed another sin, the sin of sowing the seeds of another partition of India. The Constitution does not allow reservations of religious grounds, because its drafters knew that the partition had taken place due to reservations on religious grounds. That is why, they did not permit such a move in the Constitution," Swaraj told a gathering in Gorakhpur.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Arun Jaitley has taken yet another parting shot at the Congress, claiming that the ruling party is not being considered a serious contender in the upcoming polls.

"The Congress is no longer in the race of the Uttar Pradesh elections. This is why, the Congress leaders have begun accepting their defeat. Since they are sore losers, they are reacting in this manner," Jaitley said in Shahjahanpur.

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.

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