New Delhi: BJP on Monday slammed opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party over the violence during protests surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and alleged they had unleashed divisive forces.
"All political parties in the opposition have unleashed their Jinnahs today, they have let loose their divisive forces. Owaisi is acting as a new Jinnah of the country, Amanatullah, from AAP, is another leader who is in the competition. The MLA is trying to be Delhi's Owaisi, he has a long history with him too," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference in New Delhi.
He also targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"Mamata Banerjee has decided to divide Bengal on the basis of religion. The same leader who earlier used to say that only Bengali will be used in West Bengal gave a speech in Kolkata in Hindi," he said.
Patra said that opposition parties were attempting to mislead people over the Act.
"The CAB became CAA after much debate which went on for over two days in the temple of democracy - the Parliament. Terming it illegal and unconstitutional is nothing more than an attempt to mislead the public," he said.
"The opposition was defeated in the Parliament but the manner in which they are flaring protests on the streets makes them an irresponsible opposition," Patra alleged.
He also accused opposition parties of vote-bank politics.
"All opposition parties which believe in appeasement and communal politics, they have opened a Pandora's box of (seeking) Muslim votes. There is a competition in the name of pseudo-secularism amongst them," he said.
The BJP spokesperson criticized parties for making "pawns of students" to suit their agenda and said the party condemned violence which had taken place during the protests against CAA in Delhi, Lucknow and other places.
On Sunday, several students and cops sustained injuries in a protest in Jamia Nagar area. The protesters had set the DTC buses on fire after demonstrations turned violent.
Protestors also vandalised a fire tender that was sent to douse the fire, injuring two firemen inside the vehicle.
Opposition parties have been slamming the BJP-led government for the citizenship amendment bill that was passed in the winter session of parliament.
