Veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of Karnataka M. Veerappa Moily has alleged that BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was fanning communal passions in the country for its political ends to remain in power.

Speaking after receiving the ‘Rajiv Sadbhavana Award’ on the Rajiv Sadbhavana Yatra Commemoration Day here on Tuesday, Mr. Moily said the BJP was in power in 12 States with the help of its allies and with the help of defections and large-scale corruption in politics. Stating that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was pitting communities against each other just for staying in power and as a result people of different communities were suspecting each other.

“We have driven out the British from the country and there’s no reason why we can’t do the same with the communal forces. All the Congress leaders have to unite for the cause and in the process can not only return to power at the Centre but also in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I know the pulse of the Telugu people and what’s required is unity among the Congress leaders,” Mr. Moily said.

Stating that Sadbhavana Yatra was launched to promote the values of peace, harmony and national integration and being continued in the memory of Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Moily said stability was provided to the country under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi. He had restored normalcy in relations with China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and also strengthened relations with all countries of the South Asian Region.

Rajiv Gandhi had also played a key role in the peace accords of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura, Mr. Moily said. However, the policies of the BJP-led Government at the Centre were leading to conflict with all the neighbouring countries, he observed.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MP A. Revanth Reddy, AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana and MP Manickam Tagore, Andhra Pradesh PCC president S. Sailajanath, former PCC presidents N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and V. Hanumantha Rao, former ministers J. Geetha Reddy, Md. Ali Shabbir and G. Vinod, Bose Raju, Ch. Vamshichand Reddy, Madhu Yashki, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, G. Niranjan and others participated.