‘Always chooses appeasement’: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on communal tensions in Delhi's Uttam Nagar

THe BJP came land intemperately on united states congress MP and Leader of oppositeness in Lok Sabha Rahul indira nehru gandhi on Saturday for his remarks on the Uttam Nagar incident in which a Hindu man named Tarun was killed during the Holi celebrations. Guru Prakash Paswan, BJP's national spokesperson, lashed out at Gandhi in a press conference, saying the Congress leader and his party always choose “minority appeasement” over social justice.Paswan was reacting to the comments made by Gandhi on his X account on March 19, slamming BJP of creating a divide on communal lines for their own benefits. Gadhi had written: "The people of Uttam Nagar have paid a heavy price for violence — on one hand, a young man, Tarun, has lost his life; on the other, an entire family is facing harassment. They do not want any more bloodshed." "It is only the BJP and its ecosystem that seek violence — exploiting every opportunity to stoke hatred and bake the bread of violence on the fire of division," he'd further said.Paswan hit back at Gandhi, saying he reacted many days after the incident in Uttam Nagar. “A tweet was posted expressing condolences, that too after several days, merely pretending sensitivity. Have you become insensitive today? When a young man from the Dalit community is murdered, you remain silent. But you visited Mohammad Akhlaq’s family,” Paswan said.Also read | ‘Not the same’: Delhi's Uttam Nagar residents bring in Eid with bated breath amid heightened securityPaswan alleged that “appeasement” has been institutionalised within the Congress party. “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi go wherever they see political opportunity. This reflects a pattern — an institutional mindset in Congress — where the choice is between appeasement and social justice. History shows that whenever faced with this choice, Congress has opted for appeasement,” he said.Accusing the party of having an “anti-Dalit DNA,” Paswan added that Dalits today seek meaningful participation in governance, not symbolic gestures.“Your party’s DNA is anti-Dalit. Whenever given a choice, you side with appeasement. We have not forgotten,” he said.While the war of words continues between political parties, Eid passed peacefully in the tense Uttam Nagar area. Following the murder of a 26-year-old on Holi, Muslims in the area had reportedly received threats that a “khoon ki Holi” (blood-soaked festival) would be observed on the day of Eid.After the Delhi high court directed the police to make adequate security arrangements in Uttam Nagar for Eid, prayers concluded smoothly without any incidents of violence. A video also circulated on social media showing two Muslim men showering flower petals on police personnnel, thanking them for ensuring security amid heightened communal tensions.Paswan also criticised the Congress over its stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), asserting that the law benefits persecuted minorities, including Dalits, from neighbouring countries. He further accused the party of hypocrisy over the Bharat Ratna, noting that while Congress now supports the honour for BSP founder Kanshi Ram, it had denied the country’s highest civilian award to BR Ambedkar, which was conferred only under a non-Congress government.(With PTI inputs)