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HOME MINISTER Sushil Kumar Shinde’s “insensitive” remarks at the Congress Party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were inciting “Hindu terrorism” has invited criticism not only from members of the majority community, but also from major political parties. Ironically, his own political party-Congress-also distanced itself from his comments. The time and venue of the revelation indicate that Shinde remarks were aimed at wooimg Muslim vote bank in right earnest in preparation for 2014 general elections. The off the mark statement by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde backed by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh provided Pakistan an opportunity to turn down New Delhi’s allegations that Islamabad was orchestrating terror attacks in India. As expected, Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed utilised Shinde’s remarks to target India, saying that the 9/11 Mumbai and other terror attacks were the handyworks of Hindu terrorists and LeT had no role in it. Following Shinde’s statement, Hafiz Saeed, who heads the JuD, made a demand that India should be declared a terrorist state. Hafiz Sayed also praised the Home Minister and said, Shinde has spoken the truth finally. We consider this a help from Allah for Pakistan which is always (accused) by India for terrorism.”
While some ministerial colleagues praised Mr. Shinde’s disclosure, many nationalist Muslims criticised the same for creating disharmony against the communities. In a statement Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani said the JUH and Indian Muslims rejected the term “Hindu terror” as it was not proper to associate any religion or community with terrorism. “We are of the belief that terrorism has no religion and community.”
The main opposition BJP and its ideological head, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), not only rejected Shinde’s remarks that RSS and BJP were promoting “Hindu terrorism” through their training camps, but also demanded an apology from the ruling Congress. BJP Chief Rajnath Singh while criticising Shinde’s statement, said the Home Minister had hurt India’s image by his comments and dared him to ban the RSS and BJP and arrest all their leaders if there was any evidence against these organisations. Questioning the silence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the remarks, the BJP chief made it clear that his party will continue its “oust-Shinde” campaign even in the budget session of Parliament expected to begin in the third week of next month.
Apart from BJP, and NCP, a key Congress ally termed home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s remarks linking BJP and RSS to Hindu terrorism as “wrong” and “improper”. “The use of such words is not only wrong but also improper,” NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said. “The NCP believes that any minister in the government, more so the home minister should refrain from usage of words that seek to link any religion or community to terrorism,” Tripathi said. Janata Party president Subrmanian Swamy said his comments will only help Pakistan. “The statement is aimed at only watering down the Islamic terrorism. I condemn terrorism in any form perpetrated by anyone,” he told reporters here. Swamy said no one was holding all Muslims to be terrorists and said extremist activities from persons of any faith were condemnable.
The Congress too distanced itself from Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s controversial remarks saying that the party does not endorse identification of such acts with any religion or colour, even as Union Home Secretary R K Singh defended the minister.
There is no denying the fact that few grassroots workers of BJP were found involved in terror- related incidents, but does that mean that both BJP and RSS will be labelled as terrorist organizations? The NIA has confirmed that right-wing activists have plotted the Samjhauta Express bomb blast, Malegoan blasts and Mecca Masjid etc. Though six people, including Swami Aseemanand and Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, have been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency, but there are no reports of any other Hindu terror group operating in the country. To declare the whole organisation as terror supporters, under the circumstances, seems to be not only unjustified but unwarranted also. It is least expected from a Home Minister of the world’s largest democracy having faith in non-violence, belief in peaceful coexistence, conviction in the principles of liberty and freedom of expression and steadfast respect for human life.
A pertinent question arises: if the Home Ministry has authentic evidence that the RSS and BJP are training youth in camps, why is not the government revealing that evidence or dismantling the alleged camps? We know India lacks courage to attack training camps in Pakistan, but at least they should now muster strength to uproot camps if they at all exist in India. It is unfortunate that Home Minister of the world’s largest democracy has unleashed a campaign against BJP and RSS without sound evidence. Well, if Mr. Shinde has information and evidence he should take action. Being a senior Congress leader and Home Minister, Mr. Shinde should weigh all aspects before making any statement.
There are no two opinions that the Home Minister’s statement has dented India’s spiritual, religious, cultural and civilisational heritage in the eyes of the world. Rightly, what is the difference between the HM of India and Pak if both speak the same language? It is interesting that while the Pakistani ministers are defending the home- grown terrorists, Indian ministers are blaming nationalist parties for patronising terror groups. After the Hindu terror endorsements of P.C Chidambaram, former HM and Sushil Kumar Shinde,the present HM of Pakistan is blaming India for all the problems and terrorism faced by it.
It is the right time to remind Mr. Sushil Kumar and his colleagues like Salman Khurshid and Digvijay Singh that a terrorist is just a terrorist and no words such as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh etc need to be affixed to it. It is against the secular fibre of the country as well as against the Constitution of India.
While some ministerial colleagues praised Mr. Shinde’s disclosure, many nationalist Muslims criticised the same for creating disharmony against the communities. In a statement Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani said the JUH and Indian Muslims rejected the term “Hindu terror” as it was not proper to associate any religion or community with terrorism. “We are of the belief that terrorism has no religion and community.”
The main opposition BJP and its ideological head, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), not only rejected Shinde’s remarks that RSS and BJP were promoting “Hindu terrorism” through their training camps, but also demanded an apology from the ruling Congress. BJP Chief Rajnath Singh while criticising Shinde’s statement, said the Home Minister had hurt India’s image by his comments and dared him to ban the RSS and BJP and arrest all their leaders if there was any evidence against these organisations. Questioning the silence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the remarks, the BJP chief made it clear that his party will continue its “oust-Shinde” campaign even in the budget session of Parliament expected to begin in the third week of next month.
Apart from BJP, and NCP, a key Congress ally termed home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s remarks linking BJP and RSS to Hindu terrorism as “wrong” and “improper”. “The use of such words is not only wrong but also improper,” NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said. “The NCP believes that any minister in the government, more so the home minister should refrain from usage of words that seek to link any religion or community to terrorism,” Tripathi said. Janata Party president Subrmanian Swamy said his comments will only help Pakistan. “The statement is aimed at only watering down the Islamic terrorism. I condemn terrorism in any form perpetrated by anyone,” he told reporters here. Swamy said no one was holding all Muslims to be terrorists and said extremist activities from persons of any faith were condemnable.
The Congress too distanced itself from Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s controversial remarks saying that the party does not endorse identification of such acts with any religion or colour, even as Union Home Secretary R K Singh defended the minister.
There is no denying the fact that few grassroots workers of BJP were found involved in terror- related incidents, but does that mean that both BJP and RSS will be labelled as terrorist organizations? The NIA has confirmed that right-wing activists have plotted the Samjhauta Express bomb blast, Malegoan blasts and Mecca Masjid etc. Though six people, including Swami Aseemanand and Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, have been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency, but there are no reports of any other Hindu terror group operating in the country. To declare the whole organisation as terror supporters, under the circumstances, seems to be not only unjustified but unwarranted also. It is least expected from a Home Minister of the world’s largest democracy having faith in non-violence, belief in peaceful coexistence, conviction in the principles of liberty and freedom of expression and steadfast respect for human life.
A pertinent question arises: if the Home Ministry has authentic evidence that the RSS and BJP are training youth in camps, why is not the government revealing that evidence or dismantling the alleged camps? We know India lacks courage to attack training camps in Pakistan, but at least they should now muster strength to uproot camps if they at all exist in India. It is unfortunate that Home Minister of the world’s largest democracy has unleashed a campaign against BJP and RSS without sound evidence. Well, if Mr. Shinde has information and evidence he should take action. Being a senior Congress leader and Home Minister, Mr. Shinde should weigh all aspects before making any statement.
There are no two opinions that the Home Minister’s statement has dented India’s spiritual, religious, cultural and civilisational heritage in the eyes of the world. Rightly, what is the difference between the HM of India and Pak if both speak the same language? It is interesting that while the Pakistani ministers are defending the home- grown terrorists, Indian ministers are blaming nationalist parties for patronising terror groups. After the Hindu terror endorsements of P.C Chidambaram, former HM and Sushil Kumar Shinde,the present HM of Pakistan is blaming India for all the problems and terrorism faced by it.
It is the right time to remind Mr. Sushil Kumar and his colleagues like Salman Khurshid and Digvijay Singh that a terrorist is just a terrorist and no words such as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh etc need to be affixed to it. It is against the secular fibre of the country as well as against the Constitution of India.
