In the backdrop of a face-off between the Government and BJP over Malegaon blasts, Congress President Sonia Gandhi termed ‘divisive politics’ as a major challenge and warned that those using religion or caste to come to power would plunge the country into darkness.

In her first election rally in Delhi for the November 29 Assembly polls, she denounced politics over terrorism, saying terrorists have no religion except to spread terror.

She asked the voters to choose between Congress, "which takes all religions and sections of the society for peace and development" and "those who are not in support of development but play divisive politics and spread fear among different sections of the society". She, however, did not name anybody in this regard.

"Divisive politics is a major challenge before the country," Gandhi said at a well-attended rally in Mangolpuri in North West Delhi while asking the electorate of the capital to return Congress to power for the third time.

"It is the responsibility of each political party that terrorists should not be linked to any social group.

Terrorists are terrorists. They have only one religion – to spread terror in the society," the UPA Chairperson said.

"Those who create fear in the name of religion, caste or any other pretext, they may come to power for some days. But they cannot escape the responsibility of plunging the future of the country into darkness," she said.

Her comments assume significance as BJP has been attacking the Government over the arrest of some Hindu figures in connection with Malegaon blasts, alleging Hindus were being targeted deliberately in view of the elections.