‘Their alliance will strengthen communal forces’
GORAKHPUR : Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar on Monday said the understanding between the SP and the BSP for Lok Sabha bypolls was a give-and-take pact which would only strengthen communal forces.
Holding five public meetings in Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency in support of party candidate Surhita Kareem, Babbar said the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party had taken the decision for mutual benefit.
“Both the parties have said it is a give-and-take alliance. These are not my words. The leaders of both the parties are making such statements on TV channels,” Babbar said.
Without elaborating further, he said the decision would strengthen communal forces.
Denying any threat to his party either from the Bharatiya Janata Party or the SP-BSP alliance, Babbar claimed the Congress was in a strong position in Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls.
He urged the people to support the Congress candidates and said the election was a matter of selfrespect, dignity and strength of the poor who were distressed under the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
He said the BJP’s defeat in the bypolls would send out a strong message throughout the country and bring a smile on the faces of poor farmers and jobless youths.
Accusing Modi of leading a lavish lifestyle, Babbar said despite belonging to well off family, Congress president Rahul Gandhi led a simple life. “The PM changes his clothes many times in a day but Rahul, who comes from a rich family, leads a simple life. He is unlike PM Modi who spends crores of rupees on foreign tours and clothes,” he said.