Congress always tried to divide India on basis of caste and religion, says VK Singh

Dehradun: Union Minister VK Singh said on Friday that the Congress had always worked to divide the nation on religious and caste lines.

The former army chief took part in a function attended by retired officers of the army, the navy and the air force at the Welham Boys' School in the city.

First it (Congress) divided the country on the basis of religion by creating Pakistan and in the post British era it fomented the politics of caste for votebank, he told reporters on the sidelines of the function.

MoS External Affairs VK Singh at a recent event. Twitter @Gen_VKSingh

"The Congress has always worked to divide the nation. It's a fact," the Minister of State for External Affairs said.

Singh admitted that people were migrating from the hills of Uttarakhand in search of jobs but hoped that with a new BJP government in office, the situation will improve.

"Locals are migrating from the hills as there are not enough jobs. But with a new government in office I am confident enough job opportunities will be generated to stop them from migrating in search of a livelihood," he said.

To a question on alleged Chinese incursions in Barahoti in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the former Army chief said China comes only to its own side of the disputed area and not beyond that.

"It (Barahoti) has been a disputed area between the two countries for the last 50 years. It has been agreed to keep it demilitarised and that is what is being done," Singh said.