Cong questions BJP commitment to secularism

New Delhi: Congress today questioned BJP's attempt to project its "commitment to secularism" at its National Council meet, saying as long as the Opposition party "pretends" doing it for votes, it will not succeed.

"BJP has to wake up to realize that this country is intrinsically secular and it will never accept any communal ideology. As long as they pretend to do it (professing secularism) for votes alone, they won't succeed. But we do hope that the realization is dawning on the BJP that there is some problem with its communal ideology," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters.

Keen to win more allies, BJP, which has been identified with the Hindutva tag, today decided to strive for an "imaginative reprojection" of its "commitment to secularism" and reassured minority community that it does not support discrimination on the basis of religion.

L K Advani, while delivering the valedictory address at the Meet maintained that BJP needs to reassure minority community that "we brook no discrimination or injustice in dealing with different sections of our diverse society".
The Congress also reacted sharply to the accusations of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has a role in all the scams and the Prime Minister needs to answer.

Accusing Modi of resorting to "cheap sensationalism", Chowdhary said that his accusations are "stupid and ridiculous"."It shows the level to which he has stooped. It underscores the mental bankruptcy to which he has stooped. If somebody is happy in that mire, let him be there. We are not going to stoop to that level to conquer," Chowdhary said.

Attacking Gandhi, Modi is reported to have said that the UPA took the recent FDI decision on multi-brand retail a day after she came back from the US.Under Article 355, it is the duty of the Union Government to protect states against external aggression, internal disturbances and to ensure that the governance of the state is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Karnataka on September 10 had agreed to release 10,000 cusecs of water from Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu till September 20 as a goodwill gesture.The court was hearing an application by Tamil Nadu to direct Karnataka to release 2 TMC of water.