Delhi riots: Stormy road ahead for BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP is bracing for two-day discussions in Parliament on Delhi violence with intent to wrest control of the narrative around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The saffron outfit is taking close look at the investigations of the Delhi police in the riot-affected northeast part of the national capital to build grounds for the counter-attack on the Opposition.

“Extensive preparation is underway for the discussions on Delhi violence in both Houses of Parliament. The post-Holi discussion has been timed to allow the Delhi Police to dig out facts on the violence in the city. That it coincided with the visit of the US President Donald Trump has already revealed that the violence had clear objectives to undermine the image of India,” said a senior BJP functionary.

Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh is likely to be fielded by the BJP to make an intervention in the Lok Sabha to allay the fears of the minority community on the CAA. Yet, the BJP is all set to go whole hog against the Congress and Aam Admi Party (AAP) for “stoking violence” in Delhi. The BJP is learnt to have taken out the excerpts of the speeches of the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, party’s national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and the former chief Rahul Gandhi on the opposition to the CAA.

“Rajnath Singh can give the message to the minority community that they don’t need to fear the CAA, besides making forceful arguments on the citizenship to counter the apprehensions among the Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made the government’s views clear but they need reiteration in the face of deliberate attempt to polarize the Muslims for the political gains,” said another BJP functionary.
The BJP is likely to field MPs from Bihar and West Bengal in both the Houses to counter the Opposition narrative on the Delhi violence and the CAA. Both the states are poll-bound, with the BJP having stakes in the Assembly elections. Both the Houses of Parliament are likely to take up discussions on Delhi violence on Wednesday and Thursday.