New Delhi, April 18 : BJP national president JP Nadda on Monday launched a counter-attack at the opposition parties which last week issued an appeal for communal harmony accusing the Narendra Modi-led central government of being categorically mute over incidents of communal violence that rocked several states back to back starting Ram Navami. Nadda, in a statement said “dusted and rusted approach” of vote bank politics, divisive politics, and selective politics is no longer working. He said “rejected and dejected” parties are “once again taking refuge in vote bank and divisive politics.” He also mentioned several incidents of the past trying to draw parallel that communal violence was not new and have been there since the 1960s when the Congress were at the helm in Delhi. “Today, India is seeing two distinctive styles of politics the NDA’s efforts which are seen in their work and the petty politics of a group of parties, which is seen in their acerbic words. “In the last few days, we have seen these parties come together yet again in letter (whether in spirit too, time will tell) in which they have waged a direct onslaught on the spirit of our nation and cast aspersions on our hardworking citizens. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his emphasis on ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ every Indian is being empowered and is getting the wings to rise further. Unfortunately, this thrust towards development politics is being bitterly resisted by the rejected and dejected parties who are once again taking refuge in vote bank and divisive politics,” he said in the open letter posted on Twitter. Nadda said India’s growth trajectory is at a critical juncture, and mentioned the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav being observed to mark 75 years of India’s independence. He mentioned the Covid 19 vaccination drive, and said India has been recognised as the “pharmacy of the world”. “At the same time, poverty is being alleviated at a quicker pace,” he said He said Indian politics has undergone a rapid transformation in the last eight years and the “tried, tested, or I should say dusted and rusted approach of vote bank politics, divisive politics, and selective politics is no longer working”. Launching his attack, Nadda said “Have you forgotten the shameful happenings in Karol, Rajasthan? What are the compulsions that are driving your haunting silence on the issue?” He mentioned an incident of 1966, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister and a protest was staged near Parliament House to ban cow slaughter, and also mentioned former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s remarks he had given in response to the 1984 riots. “”When a big tree falls, the earth shakes” – that justified the killing of thousands of Sikhs in the wake of PM Indira Gandhi’s death,” said Nadda. In a long list on incidents of communal violence during the Congress regime, Nadda said, “Gujarat in 1969, Moradabad 1980, Bhiwandi 1984, Meerut 1987, various incidents against the Hindus in Kashmir valley throughout the 1980s, 1989 Bhagalpur, 1994 Hubballi…the list of communal violence during Congress rule is long. Under which Government did the Muzaffarnagar Riots happen in 2013 or the Assam Riots in 2012?” He also mentioned the erstwhile National Advisory Council’s Communal Violence Bill, which was opposed by many parties at that time, and said the most horrific massacres against Dalits and Tribals have taken place under Congress regimes. “This is the same Congress that even got Dr. Ambedkar defeated in Parliamentary elections,” he said. Nadda attacked parties in the opposition which were signatories and said “in Tamil Nadu, elements aligned to the ruling party have left no stone unturned in verbally lynching, smearing and humiliating one of India’s tallest musical maestros just because he has views not palatable to one political party and their allies. Is this democratic? One can have different views and yet coexist happily but why take to insults?” He spoke out on the “shameful political violence” in West Bengal and Kerala, and said the BJP workers were getting killed in these states. He also slammed the Maharashtra government where the Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress alliance is in power and said two Cabinet Ministers have been arrested on serious charges of corruption, extortion and links with anti-social elements. “Is this not worrisome for us as a nation that a state which houses India’s financial capital has such an nspiring coalition where top Cabinet ministers have such extortionist tendencies?” “Parties are fearing that their shenanigans are being finally exposed comprehensively. For decades, they freely patronised lumpen, anti-social elements who bullied common people. Now that these elements are being subjected to the laws of the land, the parties which sheltered these elements are panicking and thus taking to this bizarre conduct,” Nadda said. He said the results of the recently held Assembly elections in five states, of which BJP won four, should be an eye-opener for those who thrive on vote bank politics. “India’s largest state on the electoral map, a coastal state on the western coast, a state in the Northeast and a hill state have given a resounding mandate to the BJP. Due to the BJP, India is seeing a sentiment of pro-incumbency where developmental politics is being resoundingly rewarded,” said Nadda. He said the BJP also became the first party in many years to cross the 100-member-mark in the Rajya Sabha and get an absolute majority in the UP legislative council. He asked the Opposition to introspect why the parties that ruled the nation for so many decades have been confined to the margins of history now. “The youth of India want opport ties, not obstacles. They want development, not divisions. Today, when people across all faiths, all age groups as well as from all walks of life have come together to defeat poverty and take India to new heights of progress, I would urge the Opposition to change track and embrace the politics of development. We owe this to our coming generations,” he added. Thirteen opposition parties, including Congress, NCP, TMC, DMK, CPIM, NC, RJD issued a joint appeal on Saturday asking people to maintain peace and social harmony and said the mobs enjoyed “official patronage”. AO ING