Amit Shah’s ‘scolding’ is gimmick: Congress

New Delhi: With the high-profile India-Africa Forum Summit due to begin in New Delhi around a week from now, observers feel the government is also keen to ensure that India’s image is not further sullied globally by such incidents of religious strife or attacks against minorities. Incidentally, a large number of the African countries attending the summit are also Muslim-majority nations.

Besides, one of the BJP’s oldest allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal, called the lynching of a Muslim man in Dadri last month over beef-eating rumours a “shame” for the country, and said what had happened after that was “damaging the Prime Minister more than anybody else”.

The Congress, however, dismissed Mr Shah’s exercise as a “mere gimmick” and an “empty formality” after the “horse has bolted”. “What is the point of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted? For 18 months such divisive statements and actions have been recurring with monotonous regularity. So after 18 months, Amit Shah has found time to chastise MPs and ministers,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said BJP is looking for excuse to explain Bihar loss.