Amid Tauqeer Raza's Congress support fiasco, Congress slams BJP for 'polarization'

Among the political storm kicked off due to Ittehad e Millat Council president Taqueer Raza's announcement of support to the Congress, UP Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said on Wednesday that Raza himself would be responsible for his statements, adding that BJP was trying to hold on to the issue

Lucknow:The recent joining of forces between Islamic cleric and Ittehad e Millat Council president Taqueer Raza, and the Congress, has kicked off a storm of political debate in Uttar Pradesh. Raza, who has previously been accused of provocative statements against Hindus, was on Monday seen sharing the stage during a press conference with Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Kumar Lallu, where he expressed his support for Congress in the upcoming UP assembly polls.

Several among Congress ranks, however, think that Raza himself is responsible for his comments, and are not connecting that to Congress' chances in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Congress state spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said that BJP's comments come from a state of desperation.

"BJP always tries to polarise everything. Ahead of UP elections, they are now trying to float by grabbing onto Raza's comments. Tauqeer Raza has merely expressed support for our party, and will answer himself for his statements", Awasthi said.

"Since 2017 no work has been done. Youth, women, farmers - everyone is in a sorry state. In this condition, BJP is trying to survive by holding on to Taqueer Raza, but it will lead them nowhere", he further noted.

Among debates of whether Raza will help Congress scoop up Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh or lead the majority to rally against Congress, BJP fired back on Wednesday, with BJP national Spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla saying that the act had further proved Congress' link with someone like the Ittehad e Millat Council president.

"Congress has joined hands with not just those who are anti-Hindu, but also Tauqeer Raza, the poster boy of hatred. Congress has taken him with themselves, and provided him with a stage", Poonawalla fired away in a video on Wednesday.

"He now says that those killed in the Batla House encounter case are 'martyrs'. By saying this, he is delivering the 'man ki baat' of Congress leaders such as Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra", he further said.

Raza himself, significantly, has not shown the same level of support for the Samajwadi Party. Recently, he highlighted that there were a total of 176 riots during the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, adding that the administration at the time did not pass an anti-riot law.