Fight for Muslim votes challenging Indian nationhood: BJP

New Delhi, Apr 9:

on Wednesday latched on to Samajwadi Party leader

's controversial comments on

war to target secular parties, saying the "cut-throat competition" among them for Muslim votes was challenging the Indian nationhood.

Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Khan has not only maligned the Army but also denigrated the sacrifices of soldiers and taunted SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, asking him if as a former defence minister his conscience was not "awakened" by Khan's comments.

"The cut-throat competition between the so called secular parties has reached an extent that it has challenged India's nationhood," he told reporters, referring to Khan's comments that it was Muslim soldiers not Hindus who fought for victory in Kargil war. Demanding stern action from the Election Commission against Khan he said that the EC should set a precedence in the matter.

"Those who fought for victory in Kargil were not Hindu soldiers, in fact the ones who fought for our victory were Muslim soldiers," Khan had said at a rally.

His comments, Trivedi said, would have a negative impact on security forces responsible for the conduct of elections and the EC must take exemplary action.

Branding Khan a "scholar" in the use of "poisonous and uncivil" language, Trivedi said Congress, SP and BSP were competing with each other for the "Muslim vote-bank" and their silence over his comments reflected their "divisive" politics.

"SP wants courts to take action against BJP leaders falsely accused of involvement in riots but seeks withdrawal of terror cases against Muslims. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is said to have cried over Batla House encounter but did she cry over beheading of our soldiers," he said.

The silence of secular parties, he said, seems like a silent swan song of our democratic values.

When asked about the provocative remarks of its UP in-charge Amit Shah in which he had asked Jats to "avenge their humiliation" in Muzaffarnagar riots, he said Shah had said that they should avenge it through votes and his comments cannot be compared with that of Khan's.

PTI