Dispute over ‘I Love Muhammad vs I Love Mahadev’ posters being stoked deliberately, says Sanjay Singh
NEW DELHI — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of deliberately stoking communal controversies in Uttar Pradesh to divert attention from burning national issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, education, and healthcare.
Addressing citizens through a video message on Sunday, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the recent row over “I Love Muhammad” versus “I Love Mahadev” slogans was not a spontaneous dispute but part of a “deep conspiracy” to inflame religious passions and bury public anger over governance failures.
“Whenever people of this country ask the government questions on jobs, education, or healthcare, the BJP manufactures a new controversy,” Singh alleged. “Today, the youth of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are on the streets against paper leaks, and the people of Ladakh are demanding full statehood. To distract from these struggles, the BJP is deliberately pushing communal tensions.”
According to Singh, the ruling party has repeatedly exploited religious occasions to sow discord. “Ten days before Eid and ten days after, they try to provoke clashes. On Bakrid, Holi, Diwali, Navratri, and even during the Kanwar Yatra, disputes are created. This is done in a very planned manner,” he claimed, adding that religion was being reduced from a symbol of faith to a trigger for violence.
The AAP leader also cited a series of paper leak scandals across states, which he said were destroying the future of millions of young people. “In Uttar Pradesh, papers for police constables, sub-inspectors, lekhpals, and teachers were leaked. Even PCS and judge recruitment exams were compromised. In Uttarakhand, youth are protesting against paper leaks, and across the country SSC aspirants are agitating,” he said.
He also highlighted the ongoing agitation in Ladakh, where activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the NSA, calling it an example of the government’s intolerance of democratic demands.
Singh accused the BJP of being uninterested in governance. “They don’t want to give schools, hospitals, jobs, or trade. Their aim is to keep people divided and distracted with hate politics. That is why, instead of addressing unemployment and inflation, they push the country into disputes over slogans like ‘I Love Muhammad’ or ‘I Love Mahadev,’” he said.
He also lashed out at what he termed “hate-peddling intellectual terrorists” who, he alleged, amplify the BJP’s divisive politics instead of questioning it. “They never raise issues of jobs, education, or hospitals. They only play with people’s emotions and want the country drowned in hatred,” Singh said.
The AAP leader reminded people of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s past remark that youth in Uttar Pradesh could find employment through cow dung. “If people really believe cow dung will solve their problems, they may keep indulging in these disputes. But if they understand that these controversies will not bring jobs, hospitals, or education, then they must raise their voice and force the government to act,” he urged.
Calling on citizens to reject hate politics, Singh concluded in the video that “Now the people of India must decide — will they fall into the BJP’s trap or will they fight for real issues that affect their lives? If we want solutions, then we must turn our struggles into political action and demand accountability.”
