Let us not opt for soft Hindutva: Rahul Gandhi to minority leaders

BENGALURU: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has advised party leaders from minority communities in Karnataka to be prepared for polarisation efforts by the BJP in the run-up to the 2018 assembly polls.

"We need to be ready to take on polarisation of Hindu votes in the upcoming elections.Let us be very clear and not opt for soft Hindutva. We should stand for the rights of the minorities without any ambiguity, even if it costs us votes," Gandhi told a meeting of minority leaders from across the country in New Delhi on Monday, a source who was at the meeting told ET.

"It is a bold stand for us to take, especially because the BJP has been cashing in on polarisation of Hindu votes. But our vice-president made it very clear that the rights of the minorities is a priority and it will be our plank against the BJP. He has told us that he will also talk to leaders from majority com munities in our party to ensure they also sup port this stand," a senior Congress leader from Karnataka who attended the event said.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka is on an overdrive, trying to anticipate the strategies of BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wrest the state in 2018.

"We are not sure what they are planning, but all of us are depending on those two to come and change the situation here in Karnataka, making it entirely in our favour," a senior BJP MLA told ET on Thursday.

There is speculation that Shah might opt for a temporary residence in Bengaluru, to drive home the message that the BJP is very keen on wresting Karnataka.