New Delhi (PTI): In a scathing attack on BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused them of inflaming "religious prejudices and passions" through "vicious communal campaign" to divide the society.

Addressing the Congress Working Committee meeting, she said "deliberate communalisation" was increasing in different parts of the country and particularly referred to Orissa which witnessed riots recently.

"What we are witnessing in states like Orissa most recently is a carefully orchestrated ploy by the BJP and its sister organisations to inflame religious prejudices and passions," she told the meeting.

"This has been their (Sangh Parivar's) strategy all along. Every time their position is weakened, every time elections are around the corner, the BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal and the VHP launch into the most vicious communal campaign to divide and polarise society, with no regard to loss of lives and livestock," Gandhi said.

Observing that it was a big challenge before her party, the Congress chief said Sangh Parivar's "mischievous designs" should be exposed and "malicious propaganda" fought back.

"We need to go out and reaffirm the simple truth that unless we work hard to sustain our secular ethos, we jeopardise our social fabric, our social cohesion and indeed, our country's future," she said.