Assembly Election 2012: BJP communalising UP polls not Congress, says Kapil Sibal

LUCKNOW: Rebutting BJP's allegation that Congress was communalising Uttar Pradesh polls by harping on minority quota issue, Union Minister Kapil Sibal today accused the opposition party of having its communal agenda on its election manifesto by making Ram Temple a part of it.

"Their charge is about communalising elections but it is the BJP which has communal agenda on its manifesto," Sibal told newspersons here.

He said a Hindu organisation had complained to the Election Commission on temple being an issue on the BJP manifesto and the poll watchdog had served the party president with a notice.

The Union HRD minister questioned BJP's motive in mentioning the temple issue in the manifesto when "they know that they are not coming to power nor have any hopes for it."

"It is clear that they want vote on Ram temple ... it is BJP which is trying to communalise elections", he said recalling that when the NDA was in power they did nothing saying that it is a coalition government and need clear majority for it.

"The issue is now being raised by the sants of the Hindu organisations," he said.

Taking offence to an advertisement of the BJP, he said it is an attempt to distort what has not been said by the Congress. "We have not talked about Muslim reservation. We have talked about minority reservation", he said, adding that the party has written to the EC in this connection.

To a question on the controversy over the NCTC, Sibal said the government formulates a policy after properly thinking over it and opposition to it, if any, is also heard.

Terming opposition to any issue as a part of democracy, he said he was sure that the controversy would end soon and states would be assured that it is not a matter of infringing upon their rights.