Mayawati said changing names of places associated with a particular religion will create hatred. (File)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP for allegedly targeting religious places to divert people's attention from issues like poverty, unemployment and inflation and cautioned that it will only weaken the country.
She also said changing the names of the places associated with a particular religion will only create hatred.
"In order to divert people's attention from issues like rising poverty, unemployment and skyrocketing inflation in the country, BJP and its associate organisations are specially targeting religious places and this is not hidden from anyone," Mayawati told newspersons in Lucknow.
"This can spoil the situation anytime. Years after Independence, the manner in which people's religious sentiments are being incited, as part of a conspiracy in the guise of Gyanvapi, Mathura, Taj Mahal and other places, will not strengthen the country but will only weaken it. The BJP needs to pay attention to this," she said.
The BSP chief's comments come in the wake of the ongoing developments and court hearings related to long-standing disputes of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura as well as a recent petition moved in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to open 22 closed rooms in the Taj Mahal to ascertain the presence of Hindu idols.
She also alleged that names of places associated with a particular religion are being changed one after another.
"The names of places associated with a particular religion are being changed one by one. This will not lead to peace, harmony or brotherhood, but would only create mutual hatred in the country. Such things are of concern and the people of the country need to remain alert as this will neither benefit the country nor common people," Mayawati said.
"This is the advice of the BSP in the interest of the people and the country," she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)