People can’t be instigated by slogans like ‘batenge toh katenge’: Raj Babbar

Congress leader Raj Babbar on Saturday, 16 November, said the people of Maharashtra cannot be provoked and instigated by slogans like "vote jihad" and "batenge toh katenge".

Addressing a press conference here, the former MP said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the slogan of 'ek hain toh safe hain' (united we are safe) as he may have understood that nobody can divide the people of Maharashtra.

"People of Maharashtra have always been one. They cannot be provoked and instigated by slogans like 'vote jihad' and 'batenge toh katenge' (divided we will perish).When a citizen of the country arrives in Mumbai in search of livelihood, nobody asks him about his caste and religion," Babbar said.

He said Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh played a crucial role in reducing the BJP's tally in the Lok Sabha.

Without naming Ajit Pawar and Ashok Chavan, Babbar said slogans like 'vote jihad' and 'batenge toh katenge' have even been opposed by those who cut themselves off from the opposition and joined the ruling Mahayuti.

"Even chief minister Eknath Shinde had to say that (his Uttar Pradesh counterpart) Yogi Adityanath was not referring to Maharashtra, but to the developments in Bangladesh. While BJP leader Pankaja Munde also opposed this saying it was against Maharashtra's culture," the former Uttar Pradesh Congress chief said.