Guwahati, April 7 The BJP on Tuesday said it has filed complaints with the Assam Police and the Election Commission against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his alleged hate speech at an election rally in the state.
Assam BJP spokesperson Pranjal Kalita, in a statement, said while Congress leaders repeatedly claim to uphold the Constitution, their actions "blatantly contradict the very spirit of constitutional freedom and respect for all faiths".
He said one complaint has been filed at the Basistha Police Station in Guwahati, and another was lodged with the poll panel.
Kalita said that the "recent demand by Kharge to ban RSS-BJP not only reflects political intolerance but also exposes the intellectual bankruptcy within the party's top leadership".
"The Assam Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemns the deeply offensive and irresponsible remarks made during an election rally on April 6 at Nilambazar in Sribhumi district, which amounted to an outright insult to Hindu beliefs and traditions," he added.
Such statements are not only condemnable, but also "dangerous for social harmony", Kalita said.
He also alleged that the Congress is deliberately attempting to "undermine 'Sanatan' culture", while projecting "other religions in a superior light", solely to gain political mileage.
This divisive approach has already been rejected by the people of Assam and the nation at large, he claimed.
"Taking serious note of this provocative and divisive rhetoric, the Assam BJP has lodged a formal FIR at Basistha Police Station in Guwahati and has also submitted a complaint before the Assam State Election Commission," Kalita said.
The ruling party has demanded immediate legal action against Kharge for allegedly spreading inflammatory and socially disruptive statements during the election campaign, he added.
Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on April 9, and counting of votes on May 4.