Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Friday called the Muslim League a virus that divided the country during the independence movement. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that the Opposition Congress has “been infected with the virus” and cautioned people against the party.

In a series of tweets, Adityanath said the “virus will spread” if the Congress and its allies are voted to power. “In the fight for Independence in 1857, the entire nation fought alongside Mangal Pandey,” Adityanath tweeted. “After that, the virus of Muslim league spread across the country to the extent that it caused the partition of the country. The same threat is looming over the country today. Green flags (of Indian Union Muslim League) are fluttering again. Congress is infected with the virus of Muslim league, be careful.”

The chief minister also posted a poem to criticise the Opposition. “The corrupt have formed an alliance that will make the battle scary,” Adityanath tweeted while adding that the tie-up is bent on “defeating Hindustan”. He said that the public have decided to save the nation and help democracy win.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission had issued a notice to him for referring to the Indian Army as “Modiji ki Sena [Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s army]”. The poll body has asked Adityanath to submit a response by April 5, ANI reported.

Adityanath had made the remark in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on March 31, while accusing the Congress of going soft on terrorists during the United Progressive Alliance’s regime. “The Congress government used to serve biryani to terrorists and Modi ji’s army sends bullets and bombs their way,” he had claimed.