BJP slams Sidhu for urging Muslims to vote out Modi

Patna, April 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday slammed Navjot Singh Sidhu, cricketer-turned-politician and Congress leader, for allegedly urging Muslim voters to vote out the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, and said it would approach to the Election Commission against it.

Sidhu at an election rally in Katihar, while campaigning for veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Tariq Anwar urged Muslims voters to exercise their franchises en bloc and defeat Modi.

Sidhu reportedly said, "Do not consider yourself as being in minority. You constitute the majority here. You are about 64 per cent of the population here. Do not fall into the trap of people like (Asaduddin) Owaisi (President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). They have been propped up by the BJP."

"Recognise your strength and vote en block to defeat Modi," he said.

Katihar is part of the backward Seemanchal region in Bihar with a sizeable Muslim population.

The BJP leader Sanjay Tiger said the EC should take a suo motu cognisance in the matter and take suitable action against Singh. "The party would also approach the EC in this connection," he said.

BJP state Vice-President Devesh Kumar said the party had condemned the remarks made by Sidhu. "His speech exposed the Congress policy of minority appeasement," he said.

"Our party under Modi's leadership has been working with the motto 'sabka sath sabka vikas' and the Congress has nothing to offer except divisive politics," Kumar said.

"We would urge the EC to take suo motu cognisance of his utterances and take suitable action," he said.

Katihar Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polls in the second phase on April 18.