Hindu Rashtra will turn us into Pakistan: CM Gehlot

Ahmedabad: CM and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday cautioned that India would meet the same fate as that of Pakistan if the ruling BJP tries to turn country into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. Congress’ senior observer for Gujarat Assembly polls also accused BJP of fighting & winning polls only on issue of religion. Gehlot has been on a twoday visit to BJP-ruled Gujarat to hold meetings with party leaders to review their preparedness for upcoming Assembly polls, expected to be held in December this year. Talking to reporters on last day of his visit, Gehlot said, “Many people, such as activists and journalists, have been jailed by the BJP across the country. They are fascist, who are winning elections only on the issue of religion. Otherwise, BJP does not have any ideology, policy or governance model. How governments were toppled in Goa, Karnataka, Manipur, MP and Maharashtra. We somehow saved Rajasthan, otherwise I wouldn’t have been sitting here as CM and someone else would have been in my place. I am saved by your blessings.”

“Politics based on religion is the easiest of all and even Adolf Hitler indulged in it,” he said. Gehlot, who was in-charge of the Gujarat Congress in 2017, said, “We were very close to winning 2017 Assembly polls. But unfortunately, the way PM Modi pitched himself and acted like a Bollywood actor during the campaign, we lost. To gain sympathy, he even distorted Congress leader Mani Shakar Aiyar’s remark and claimed that Aiyar called him a ‘neech aadmi’ (lowly person).” In the 182-member House, BJP had won 99 seats, while Cong had bagged 77 seats in 2017 Gujarat polls. Referring to exit of several Cong MLAs, he said Guj BJP has given “horse trading model” to country. He also slammed Modi govt for introducing electoral bonds, which according to him, doesn’t provide a level playing field for other parties because majority of donations are going to BJP under it.