Amit Shah's show big flop, no tie-ups, says Digvijay Singh

Hyderabad: Terming BJP national president Amit Shah’s recent tour in Telangana state as a ‘big flop’, AICC general-secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday said that though the BJP created a media hype about the visit and on several Opposition leaders joining the BJP, it was ultimately proven a huge drama.

Speaking to media at the Gandhi Bhavan here, Mr Singh said the BJP wants to spread Hindutva in TS by sowing hatred among Hindus and Muslims to get political mileage. “The BJP should know that this would never happen,” he said.

Mr Singh said that BJP leaders have started campaigning against enhancing of reservations to backward Muslims, claiming that this would lead to an increase in Muslim population in the state.

When asked about the possibility of an alliance with the Telugu Desam in TS as mentioned by senior Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy, Mr Singh, who is the party in-charge for the state, said, “We are opposing TD in Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana, it is irrelevant. I don’t know what Jaipal Reddy told you, but we are very strong and will go alone in the state in all the 119 Assembly seats.”

Referring to the recent Union government orders banning cattle sale for slaughter, Mr Singh said that it was not for the Centre or state governments to dictate to the people of this multilingual and multiracial society what they should or should not eat.

He also said it was for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately start talks with all political parties over a consensus Presidential candidate.

‘Since Modi is heading the ruling dispensation, it is for him to take an initiative in this regard,’ Mr Singh said.