Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar accused BJP-led Centre of playing politics of communal hatred and animosity in the country.

He criticized that efforts are being made to create a rift in the country’s unit in the name of Hindu-Muslim, Dalits and non Dalits by some quarters. We should prevent this animosity, Mr. Pawar said.

Mr. Pawar said that NCP will never support casteism or a divide on religious lines. All those who believe in protecting the interests of society need to come together.

Mr. Pawar on Saturday said that such incidents will stop the country’s development.

Referring to the Bollywood movie ‘ The Kashmir Files’, the NCP supremo stated that efforts are being made to create a rift in society on religious lines.

The movie showed how Hindus were tortured, whenever a small community faces a problem how a majority community attacks them. If the majority community is Muslim, then a sense of insecurity is experienced in the Hindu community. Planned conspiracy is taking place today to create this insecurity. Unfortunately, those who are in power in the country appealed to the people to watch this movie, Mr. Pawar said in a veiled swipe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

“Some organisations in Karnataka issued a fatwa asking [people] to not buy goods from businesses owned by minorities. This country allows freedom of doing business to each individual, be it Dalit, tribal, minority or majority. If the business is good, the product is fine, our society respects such enterprises. But if some organisations who rule the country start warning businesses over religious identity then the country will go nowhere. It will damage the country’s development,” Mr. Pawar said as quoted by the Hindu. Mr. Pawar was speaking at a programme in Sangli district of Maharashtra, quoted

Mr. Pawar also pointed to the “insults hurled at Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad” by Right-wing elements. “The country is witnessing a leadership which is finding solace in making comments on them, instead of respecting these freedom fighters who helped build the country. Today, the only thing happening is to divide people into religious lines, unlike our former leaders to chained people together for the country and development,” he said.

NCP leader referred to the call to boycott businesses owned by Muslims in Karnataka.

Mr. Pawar also pointed to the “insults hurled at Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad” by Right-wing elements. “The country is witnessing a leadership which is finding solace in making comments on them, instead of respecting these freedom fighters who helped build the country. Today, the only thing happening is to divide people into religious lines, unlike our former leaders to chained people together for the country and development,” he said.