The BJP on Friday accused CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury of linking Hinduism with violence, saying it is yet another instance of vote bank politics by a desperate opposition and sought an apology from him."We demand an apology from him by trying to defame the Hindu religion and spreading lies and hate against Hindu epics and scriptures that have promoted noble values like victory of good over the evil, universal brotherhood and non-violence," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement.

The world knows that the communists are violent, and Hindus peace-loving, he claimed. In an article for the CPIM mouthpiece, People's Democracy, Yechury had said the BJP's decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur as its candidate from Bhopal is an expression of its efforts to consolidate the Hindutva "communal" vote bank.

Yechury also took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his claim that Hindus can never be violent, alleging that Modi erases Indian history replete with gruesome battles and wars. "Strange for an RSS pracharak, who preaches that our epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata replete with conflicts and violent wars is the only source of our history," Yechury had written in a swipe at Modi.

Hitting back, Rao said many opposition leaders are emulating negative characters like Duryodhana and Ravana while Hindus worship Lord Krishna and Ram and celebrate defeat of evil represented by Duryodhana and Ravana.Earlier, the Congress linked Hinduism with terrorism by coining terms like Hindu terror and saffron terror with an eye on appeasing minorities, he claimed, accusing the Left leader of taking a leaf out of the Congress' "despicable politics".

"Sitaram Yechury has gone on to blame Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata by fraudulently claiming that they preach violence. Yechury has found instant acceptance of his senseless statements from friendly parties indulging in similar politics of appeasement," the BJP spokesperson said. "We strongly condemn the statement of Sitaram Yechury and demand an apology from him," he added.

Taking a swipe at him, he said Yechury's parents would never have expected him to misinterpret and vilify the same god (Ram) and goddess (Sita) that make his first name for his politics of appeasement.