Congress accuses BJP of trying to influence voters in Delhi by promoting film based on 2020 riots

New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to create division in society and influence voters by promoting a film based on "distorted events" ahead of the assembly election in Delhi.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also urged the Election Commission (EC) to take immediate action to stop the February 2 release of the film, "2020 Delhi".

He said the EC should follow the precedence set during the 2019 general elections when it stalled the release of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's biopic.

The trailer of "2020 Delhi", set against the backdrop of the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, was released earlier this week.

Singhvi said while the Congress celebrated Republic Day with vigour, the BJP continued to spread its agenda with the same enthusiasm -- the only difference being that its agenda was negative.

This is a direct attempt to influence the voters, a directly focussed, distorted, debased narrative against a particular religious community and a brazen attempt to disturb public tranquillity, he told reporters. "We strongly condemn this initiative, if it can be called that, and hope that the EC will put an immediate stop to it." "Why do you release a film like this two days before the election? What is the purpose of its coincidental clash? This has become a new technique of the BJP during elections. Days before the general elections in 2019, the BJP, in a very similar modus operandi, released the Modi biopic," he said.

The Congress leader also said Modi's proposed visit to the Maha Kumbh on the day of Delhi's election was not a coincidence.

While saying the prime minister was welcome at the Kumbh, Singhvi said, "You think it is a coincidence that he wants to go there on that day itself?" Alleging that the BJP had repeatedly made religious gestures to coincide with elections, Singhvi quoted fictional spy James Bond to attack the saffron party.

"James Bond, in a famous line in a film, said, 'The first time it is happenstance, the second time it is coincidence but the third time it is enemy action'," he said.

"I want to assure you that it is not a coincidence. The BJP has done it again and again in different elections. It has chosen a date when the democratic process is at its fervour and gone and done a religious gesture and that is why it is certainly not a coincidence," he said.

On the release of "2020 Delhi", Singhvi said no one was against its propagation but "we are talking of deliberately chosen, sensitive, communally provocative, inciteful, pitting one community against another and one religion against other, themes intended to create a trust deficit and a divisive society. That is what we are objecting to".

He said "2020 Delhi" was being promoted by the BJP's Delhi leaders "as if they are official promoters of the film".

"If films like '2020 Delhi' are allowed to be released days prior to the election, you are throwing electoral fairness and transparency into the dustbin," he said.

Singhvi called it a "direct attempt to influence voters".

"We hope and trust that the EC does not let time, delay, decide the matter by default," he said.

Posing a set of questions to the BJP, he asked, "Are you not confident of your candidates? Are you so depressed at certain defeat staring you in the face? Are you so disheartened by the writing on the wall that you are falling back on one and only one signature that you have -- a communally-motivated film intended to divide and incite society and mislead voters?" Singhvi also asked the BJP if political parties had started sponsoring propaganda films as part of their election campaigns.

Claiming that AAP was staring at defeat, he accused the ruling party in Delhi of issuing an advertisement against Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and dubbing them "beimaan (traitor)" while portraying itself as clean.

He expressed hope that the EC would take note of the Congress' complaint and take down the advertisement.

"This kind of abusive, debasing political discourse and culture must be condemned. Such kind of defamatory advertisements or statements must be immediately policed and taken down by the EC," Singhvi said.

"We all know that the electoral window and political window is very short and, therefore, prompt action is the need of the hour," he said.

Singhvi also asked AAP, "Is this mudslinging based on completely unfounded and highly wild allegations on other political leaders? Is this your only formula to achieve victory in the Delhi election?" Resorting to such tactics shows AAP's helplessness and hopelessness, he asserted.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on February 5 and the votes counted on February 8. PTI SKC SKC SZM SZM