Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) The Congress party Tuesday condemned the assault on woman in a pub in Mangalore by activists of the Sri Rama Sena, saying it was not an isolated incident but reflected the philosophy of the Sangh Parivar. “The incident at the pub in Karnataka is not an isolated one. It is important to realise it forms the larger paradigm of the philosophy of divisiveness and creating narrow walls of caste and group which is at the heart of Sangh Parivar,” said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Singhvi also refused to accept the statement of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yedyurappa that the Sri Rama Sena has no connection with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and said hey only change the name while the philosophy remains the same.

“Bajrang Dal is involved in this incident. Though they have changed the name, philosophy remains the same. Instead of changing the name, they should change philosophy and learn to respect the diversity of India and (have) respect for woman,” he said.

Singhvi also announced that party president Sonia Gandhi has appointed a new chief of the party’s Orissa unit ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“The Congress president has approved the appointment of K.P.Singhdeo as president of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee,” he told reporters.

In a complete overhauling of the state unit, three working presidents have been appointed to assist Singhdeo. They are Chandrasekhar Sahu, L.B. Mahapatra and Bhakta Charan Das.

Commenting on Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s statement that former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, who recently resigned from the BJP, was not responsible for the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya, Singhvi said the Congress does not share the Samajwadi Party’s view.

“We do not share the same view as that of Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress has a different view on this and is not bound by the view of any party having a loose alliance with Congress,” Singhvi said.