Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty, remarked that the line between the south and north is getting “thicker and clearer” as BJP registered thumping victories in three Hindi heartland states.
Assembly Election Results 2023: A senior Congress leader sparked a row on Sunday by claiming a so-called “distinction” between the southern and northern states of the country as the party dethroned the ruling BRS in Telangana to register a second win in the south India where a victory remains elusive for the BJP.
In a post he later deleted, Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty, remarked that the line between the south and north is getting “thicker and clearer” as BJP registered thumping victories in three Hindi heartland states.
“The South-North boundary line getting thicker and clearer!” Chakravarty, who is the chairman of the Professionals’ Congress and the party’s data analytics department, posted on X along with a picture captioned “South Vs North”.
However, Chakravarty later deleted the post after it stirred a controversy and drew sharp reactions from various various quarters, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of promoting divisive politics.
Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty triggered a controversy Sunday with his remarks that the south-north boundary line is getting “thicker and clearer”, as the party edged out the BRS in Telangana to register a second win in the southern region where the BJP is not in power in a single state.
The Congress is facing- heavy defeats in three Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh at the hands of the BJP. However, in a first since the state’s formation in 2014, the Congress has edged out the ruling Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from Telangana and is set to form government in the state with a clear majority.
All four states went to assembly polls between November 7 and 30 along and votes were counted on Sunday.
Post sparks row on X
Warning against posts such as that of Chakravarty, Congress sympathiser Tehseen Poonawala said that “just like people did not like the abuse of Sanatan Dharma, they won’t tolerate the north-south divide”.
“Warning: The north-south divide will backfire! Don’t indulge in it and reduce the legacy of the Congress, the first nationalist and the oldest political party of this great nation! Just like people did not like the abuse of Sanatan dharma, they won’t tolerate the north-south divide!,” Poonawala posted on X.
Tagging Chakravarty’s post, BJP general secretary B L Santhosh hit back, saying that “Already Sir !!! They always keep two cards ready. Now they have taken out second card Right from the drawing room of ‘Bharat Jodo’ and ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ “.
Santhosh also shared a screenshot of Chakravarty’s post on X.
Kerala BJP president K Surendran on X said that after failing on their regular capsules of “Hindu party, caste politics, EVMs and freebies, @INCIndia adopts the ‘south-north’ separatist narrative, echoed by the @cpimspeak.”
“Ironically, these are the same people behind ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. @BJP4India’s southern strength is clear: ruling in Goa, Pondicherry; strong in Karnataka; rising in Telangana; holding key Lok Sabha seats. BJP will win more seats in 2024, including in Kerala,” he said.
C R Kesavan, the great grandson of noted freedom fighter and India’s last governor general C Rajagopalachari, who left the Congress to join the BJP earlier this year, said the Congress’ “toxic plan is to attack Bharat with north-south divide”.
“The dynastic Congress party’s agenda to divide Bharat on caste lines and uproot Sanatana dharma, has been outrightly rejected by our people. Now, their toxic plan is to attack Bharat with north-south divide. In 2024, the Congress will be consigned to the dustbin of history,” the leader from Tamil Nadu said.
Meanwhile, a similar post from Tamil Nadu Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on X read: “the South”.
Earlier this year, the Congress wrested power from the BJP in Karnataka. With the Telangana win it has strengthened its base in the south. The Congress is in alliance with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, but is not part of the government there.
After losing Karnataka, the BJP is currently not in power in any of the southern states.