Muslim corporator quits BJP in MP

Bhopal, Feb 8 (IANS) Following the exodus of around 100 minority cell members from the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, the party's woes continued on Saturday as well when a corporator of Indore Municipal Corporation quit after accusing it of "communal politics".

Usman Patel said he was ending his four-decade long association with the party by resigning from all party posts.

Accusing the BJP of deviating from the real issues, he said: "The economic growth rate has dropped alarmingly and inflation has risen. But the party is bringing in laws that create a rift between people of different religions."

Patel, a corporator from Ward 38 of Khajrana for two terms, said he was influenced by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to join the BJP. In a video clipping, he said: "I joined the party after getting inspired by Atalji, but now I am sad as the party is now working to break the country. So, I am resigning. The party is deviating from its principles and indulging in hate politics."

Describing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens as "anti-Constitution and anti-Muslims", Patel said that members of his community were staging sit-ins on the streets and he supported them.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Laxman Singh, a brother of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, said that party leader Rahul Gandhi should have refrained from the 'danda' remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Modi is our Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi should refrain from making such comments," said Laxman Singh, who in the past has been in the BJP.

Earlier, he had asked Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the farmers for the Madhya Pradesh government's "failure" to waive farmers' loans up to Rs 2 lakh within 10 days of coming to power in the state, as promised before the Assembly elections.