Congress appointed Imran Masood (right) as vice-president in new UP unit and BJP appointed Suresh Rana.
Uttar Pradesh:
On their A teams for Uttar Pradesh, where crucial assembly elections are now months away, both the Congress and the BJP have picked controversial lawmakers who have been in trouble with the law over divisive politics.
On Tuesday, the BJP assailed the Congress for appointing its lawmaker from Saharanpur, Imran Masood, who went to jail for threatening to "chop Narendra Modi into pieces" in 2014, as a vice-president in its revamped UP unit.
"So the Congress rewards the "Boti-Boti" man of Uttar Pradesh Imran Masood with the post of UPPC Vice President! Reflects the mindset of the Congress," tweeted the BJP's Sambit Patra.
Hours later, his party named Suresh Rana as one if its 15 vice presidents in UP. Mr Rana is the BJP lawmaker from Shamli and an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, in which more than 60 people were killed.
Rajendra Chowdhury spokesperson of UP's ruling Samajwadi Party accused both national parties of "a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere in the state" and said it showed their "growing desperation" ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, where all three parties will compete in a four-cornered contest that includes Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.
"Why don't you ask the BJP about its own hate mongers," said the Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad when asked about Mr Masood's elevation.
The BJP says the two inductions cannot be compared. "Suresh Rana was slapped with NSA (National Security Act) at the behest of the Samajwadi Party government but the court has dropped that charge against him," BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh pointed out.
The party's Srikant Sharma said that by picking Imran Masood the Congress has proved it wants to polarise the UP elections. "UP wants change and development, but parties like the Congress only want to push a divisive agenda. This is a joint effort by Congress with the tacit understanding of the SP and BSP," he alleged.
The BJP announced a jumbo state executive on Tuesday night which includes 15 vice-presidents, eight general secretaries, one treasurer, one assistant treasurer and 15 secretaries.
The Congress too has revamped its UP state unit announcing the appointment of actor turned politician Raj Babbar as UP's state president. Mr Masood is one of three vice-presidents.
On Tuesday, the BJP assailed the Congress for appointing its lawmaker from Saharanpur, Imran Masood, who went to jail for threatening to "chop Narendra Modi into pieces" in 2014, as a vice-president in its revamped UP unit.
"So the Congress rewards the "Boti-Boti" man of Uttar Pradesh Imran Masood with the post of UPPC Vice President! Reflects the mindset of the Congress," tweeted the BJP's Sambit Patra.
Hours later, his party named Suresh Rana as one if its 15 vice presidents in UP. Mr Rana is the BJP lawmaker from Shamli and an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, in which more than 60 people were killed.
Rajendra Chowdhury spokesperson of UP's ruling Samajwadi Party accused both national parties of "a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere in the state" and said it showed their "growing desperation" ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, where all three parties will compete in a four-cornered contest that includes Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.
"Why don't you ask the BJP about its own hate mongers," said the Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad when asked about Mr Masood's elevation.
The BJP says the two inductions cannot be compared. "Suresh Rana was slapped with NSA (National Security Act) at the behest of the Samajwadi Party government but the court has dropped that charge against him," BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh pointed out.
The party's Srikant Sharma said that by picking Imran Masood the Congress has proved it wants to polarise the UP elections. "UP wants change and development, but parties like the Congress only want to push a divisive agenda. This is a joint effort by Congress with the tacit understanding of the SP and BSP," he alleged.
The BJP announced a jumbo state executive on Tuesday night which includes 15 vice-presidents, eight general secretaries, one treasurer, one assistant treasurer and 15 secretaries.
The Congress too has revamped its UP state unit announcing the appointment of actor turned politician Raj Babbar as UP's state president. Mr Masood is one of three vice-presidents.
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