All political parties, including the Congress, create divisions among the people on the lines of caste and religion, former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Sunday, ANI reported.

At an event in Jammu, the veteran Congress leader said linking terrorism to a particular religion was “absolutely wrong”. His remarks came in the backdrop of the controversy over The Kashmir Files, a film released on March 11 about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.

Several Opposition politicians have questioned the factual accuracy of the film and the communal tone of the discussion around it. They have pointed out that the Congress was not in power at the Centre when the displacement happened and claimed that the governor of the state who facilitated the flight of the community had been approved by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“Political parties create division 24x7 on the basis of religion, caste and other things,” Azad said. “I’m not forgiving any party, including mine. Civil society should stay together. Justice must be given to everyone irrespective of caste, religion.”

Azad, who is part of the group of 23, or G-23, also raised concerns about the power of political parties to usher in real transformation, The Indian Express reported. The G-23 has been pushing for collective and inclusive leadership in the Congress since August 2020, when the group wrote a letter to interim chief Sonia Gandhi to press for sweeping changes in the party.

“Politics in India has become so ugly that sometimes one has to doubt whether we are human,” he said at the start of his 35-minute address.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the civil society has to play an important role to help people in difficult times.

“The civil society should own responsibility and counter the narrative of the political parties, whether my party or any other party...I am not going to forgive anyone,” Azad said. “You have to lead and guide the people and let them decide whom to vote for.”