BJP trying to polarise minority votes: Congress leader

PANAJI: AICC's minority department in-charge Khurshid Ahmad Saiyed today accused the BJP of trying to polarise minority votes and said such a "game plan" will turn those in the community into fundamentalists.

Stating that Muslims in India have never resorted to terrorism or fundamentalism, the Congress leader accused the BJP and some of its MPs of "trying to infuse fundamentalism in Muslims" through their statements in Parliament and outside.

"Muslims in India have never resorted to terrorism or fundamentalism. The country's biggest minority has been behaving responsibly.

"But if the BJP continues with its game plan, the Muslims in the country would become fundamentalists. They will become fundamentalists but won't be terrorists," he said at a press conference here.

To a question on terrorists who have attacked the country in the past, he said, "I am very much categorical... they are not of Indian origin."

Saiyed also suggested that the Indian Mujahideen (IM) may not be a terror outfit.

"There may be some organisations speaking some nonsense but that does not mean they are terrorists," he said when asked whether IM is a terror outfit.

"We have not objected to any action taken against such organisations. Even during UPA government, actions have been taken against such sectarian organisations," he said.

"They have been put behind bars and action has been taken against them. Nothing is permissible in this country beyond Constitution," Saiyed said.