Alwar Lok Sabha By-election: Vote For Me if You Are Hindu,
Muslims Go For Congress,
Says BJP Candidate Jaswant Yadav
India.com 2018-01-10 15:44:21
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Alwar, Jan 10: Jaswant Yadav, who is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Alwar Lok Sabha by-election, allegedly made a communal remark on Tuesday by saying that Hindus should vote for the BJP and Muslims should vote for the Congress. A video clip of Jaswant Yadav purportedly asking Hindus to vote for BJP and Muslims for Congress has gone viral on social media.
"When I visited Mewat villages and met members of Meo community, they told me that we are willing to vote for you but not for BJP because BJP is a Hindu party. So I said, if you are Hindu vote for me if you are Muslim then vote for the Congress (candidate)," Jaswant Yadav is purportedly heard saying in the video. Yadav, however, denied the allegations and said that Congress is nervous because he is getting Muslim support.
"The Congress is nervous. I have been campaigning in Muslim-dominated regions in Mewat and the Muslims are also supporting me," Jaswant Yadav told a newspaper. "Earlier, when I said that our Prime minister Narendra Modi is the 'best PM', Congress people distorted it and claimed that I was saying Modi was the 'bhrasht (corrupt) PM'," he added.
The Congress party, on the other hand, condemned the communal remark allegedly made by Jaswant Yadav and asked the Election Commission to take action against the BJP candidate. "I condemn this statement. The Election Commission should take cognizance. It is communal and an example of depraved mentality," Congress candidate from Alwar Dr Karan Singh said.
The Congress also filed a complaint with the district returning officer alleging that the BJP candidate was seeking votes in the name of religion and caste. The by-election in Alwar Lok Sabha seat will be held on January 29. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Alwar MP Chand Nath.