Rahul's remark on Muzaffarnagar Muslims denounced by BJP

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party today interpreted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's remarks that Pakistani agencies were approaching victims of Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them into terrorism as an attempt to cast doubts about the patriotism of Muslims and demanded an apology from him.

"Rahul Gandhi has tried to point the needle of suspicion at Muslims by his remarks today. These Muslims did not go to Pakistan at the time of Partition and decided to live here," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told PTI.

The BJP's Muslim face condemned Mr Gandhi's statement.

"Rahul Gandhi has raised questions about the patriotism of Indian Muslims by saying they were approached by ISI. This is unfortunate. He should apologise for his remarks," he said.

Speaking at a public meeting in Indore, Mr Gandhi had alleged that BJP is trying to divide the nation and damaging the country's secular fabric. He invoked the Muzaffarnagar riots and said that Pakistani agencies were approaching some of the victims to lure them to terrorism.

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Mr Hussain said BJP has never said Indian Muslims are communal or that they can be influenced by Pakistan's ISI.

BJP charged that the maximum number of communal riots have taken place under Congress rule and it has no right to allege that they are responsible for the recent incidents.

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The Opposition asked why the Centre had not taken appropriate and prompt action in the recent Muzaffarnagar riots.

"Samajwadi Party, which is in power in Uttar Pradesh, is a Congress ally at the Centre. It failed to control the riots.

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Why did the Congress-led UPA government not take action against it? Rahul Gandhi cannot evade responsibility for it," he said.

"Thousands of riots have taken place during Congress rule over the decades. Most of them happened during the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao," he added.

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Another prominent Muslim BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the party will take this issue to the Election Commission and demand that an FIR be lodged against Rahul Gandhi for violating the Model Code of Conduct as election process is on in five states.

"Rahul Gandhi has made baseless allegations against BJP and this attempt to divide votes on communal grounds is a clear cut violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We will ask the EC to lodge an FIR against him for his communal, provocative speeches," Mr Naqvi said.

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The party alleged that Congress is a "traditional and professional exploiter" of votes and is spreading "communal poison" for this purpose during the on-going polls.

"Yuvraj (Rahul) is only taking this tradition forward," Mr Naqvi said.

He alleged that Mr Gandhi is trying to spread dissensions and conflict on religious lines in the country through his speeches. He said Mr Gandhi's speech was an attempt at creating communal sensationalism in the name of secular politics.

Referring to his comments about an IB official sharing information with him about ISI's attempt to reach riot victims, Mr Naqvi said, "Does this mean the Centre has given a lot of space and freedom to ISI to work freely in the country? We would also like to know in what capacity was the IB official sharing such information with Rahul Gandhi. Has he shared this information with the Prime Minister?"

BJP asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to clarify on the issue.