Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Congress, Left playing vote bank politics: BJP

TIRUPATI: Bharatiya Janata Party national vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday accused the Congress and the Left parties of pampering Muslim minorities to garner votes and said secularism would be secure only so long as Hindus remained a majority in the country’s population.

Once the position became topsy-turvy, there would be a total chaos marked by social tensions and communal disharmony, he said while addressing a BJYM rally in Tirupati organised to protest against the alleged increase in the proselytising activities, especially on and off Tirumala and elsewhere in the State after the advent of the Rajasekhara Reddy government.

Breathing fire at the Congress and Left parties and their allies, he interspersed his speech with sarcasm and satire amid shouts of ‘Jai Sriram, Bolo Bharat Mataki’ from Sangh Parivar activists in the crowd.

He touched upon other issues like clemency to Afzal Guru, accused in the attack on the Parliament building, Congress’ hobnobbing with the Muslim League, alleged flow of foreign funds to force religious conversions, opposition by ‘pseudo-secular’ parties to introduction of a common civil code, etc.

He criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his ‘U-turn’ on the civil nuclear deal and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi for beating a quick retreat after her initial ‘outbursts’ against Left parties.

State BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya strongly criticised the Rajasekhara Reddy government for its interference in the financial and the religious matters of the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Among the other speakers were all-India BJYM president Vineet Thakkar and State BJYM president G. Bhanuprakash Reddy.

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