Mumbai, Sep 30 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the Congress of attempting to incite riots through what it described as "deliberately disturbing" statements and social media posts.
The allegation follows the registration of an FIR by Mumbai Police against an unidentified person after Maharashtra BJP lodged a complaint over a Congress social media post that depicted a BJP office in flames during protests.
Speaking to IANS, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said the opposition was disturbing the peace and social harmony of the state.
"The way riots and arson occurred in Nepal, look at the statements made by the Congress party and the opposition at that time. The peaceful atmosphere and social harmony are being deliberately disturbed by Congress leaders," he said.
Questioning the intent of the Congress post, he added, "Why show images of our BJP office on fire on their social media? Who are you inciting, and what is your intent behind this? Do they want to incite riots? Does Congress not want people to live peacefully?"
The FIR was filed by Maharashtra BJP Social Media Cell Coordinator Prakash Gade at the Marine Drive Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly attempting to provoke violence.
The contentious post by Maharashtra Congress showcased a BJP office set ablaze and linked it to demonstrations in Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar. It made reference to the recent protests in Leh, where people have been demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
"The BJP should not see the end of the people. Otherwise, just as the Gen Z in Leh set the BJP office on fire, a similar situation will arise across the entire country," the post declared.
Reacting to the controversy, BJP national spokesperson Aniket Nikam shared a copy of the FIR on X and said, "This is a direct warning to those attempting to disrupt the peace of this state… 'BJP worker stands with Maharashtra'."
The political row comes in the backdrop of various protest movements across the country. Ladakh has been witnessing strong demonstrations for statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion, Uttarakhand has seen widespread unrest over paper leak cases, and in Bihar, the Congress has been mobilising people through its Voter Adhikar Yatra.
Against this backdrop, BJP leaders claim that the Congress party, instead of standing for peace, is resorting to provocative tactics that could ignite tensions.
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