Cong gave a long rope to Raj Thackeray: BJP

NEW DELHI: As Maharashtra police arrested Raj Thackeray on charges of inciting violence, BJP on Wednesday said the Congress government 'deliberately' let the situation go out of control to reap political gains.

It alleged the Congress' political gameplan was to 'divide' the society, Marathi votes and 'terrorise' the non-Marathi population so that they drift towards it 'by default'.

"The Congress government has given a long rope to Raj Thackeray. Its strategy is to divide the society for political gains," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

His comments came on a day when Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi were arrested on charges of promoting enmity between groups and inciting violence.

Thackeray's remarks against North Indian migrants had sparked violence in Maharashtra over the past week.

"Ten days have passed since the incident happened but the Congress government did not take any action. It could have brought the situation under control in an hour but deliberately chose to let it go out of the hand," he alleged.

He also alleged that the Congress government wanted to divert attention from it's 'all round failure'. 'It has neither given any assurance to the non-Marathi people nor snapped its ties with Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena," he said.

Javadekar wondered why social activists like Javed Athkar, Shabana Azmi and Teesta Seetalwad, who speak against Gujarat 'at the drop of a hat' are silent on the incidents in Maharashtra.