KASAB enters UP battle: Amit Shah does a Narendra Modi at Chauri Chaura rally
"The people of Uttar Pradesh will rid themselves of this KASAB in this election. Don't try to infer something else from me saying KASAB. By KASAB I mean: Ka for Congress, Sa for Samajwadi Party and Ba for Bahujan Samaj Party," Shah said in Hindi.
In Short
- Amit Shah exhorts BJP supporters to get rid of KASAB at Chauri Chaura rally.
- By KASAB I mean: Ka for Congress, Sa for Samajwadi Party and Ba for Bahujan Samaj Party, he said.
- The remark shows BJP's communal mindset, says Congress slamming Amit Shah.
Addressing an election rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Chauri Chaura town in Gorakhpur, BJP president Amit Shah today did a Narendra Modi by exhorting his supporters to rid the state of KASAB.
"The people of Uttar Pradesh will rid themselves of this KASAB in this election. Don't try to infer something else from me saying KASAB. By KASAB I mean: Ka for Congress, Sa for Samajwadi Party and Ba for Bahujan Samaj Party," Shah said in Hindi.
The message is not lost to the people the BJP is trying to win. Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was the only one caught alive following the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and was hanged in 2012.
CONGRESS SLAMS AMIT SHAH
The Congress was quick to slam the statement. "They need to end these acronyms. The BJP's repulsive thinking is brought out. It shows the party's communal mindset," senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said.
Need to end acronyms;BJP's repulsive thinking brought out; It shows party's communal mindset: Abhishek Singhvi on Amit Shah's 'KASAB' remark pic.twitter.com/d8gj42kGBT ANI (@ANI_news) February 22, 2017
The BJP has been accused of communalising the Uttar Pradesh election by the Opposition parties. At a rally last week, Modi himself had said the Samajwadi Party was providing burial grounds for Muslims in every village, while there are not enough cremation grounds.
In the same speech, Modi had also accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of not supplying electricity to people on Diwali while providing Muslims
In doing so, the 52-year-old BJP chief was also taking a leaf out of Prime Minister Modi's love for acronyms, the most recent being SCAM meant for the Uttar Pradesh election.
By SCAM, Modi meant Samajwadi Party, Congress, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati - the main rivals of the saffron party in the crucial three-cornered Uttar Pradesh battle.
WATCH: People of UP will rid themselves of 'KASAB': Amit Shah