NEW DELHI/BANGALORE: Congress and the government on Thursday slammed BJP for its "unnecessary and unwarranted" agitation over home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's remarks on Hindu terror, saying it was a "diversionary tactics" to keep away media attention from its internal affairs.
Rejecting BJP chief Rajnath Singh's demand for an apology by Shinde on the issue, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh asked the BJP president, its senior leader Lal Krishna Advani and Uma Bharti to apologize for speaking in favour Pragya Thakur, the alleged mastermind in Malegaon and Modasa blast cases.
"BJP's agitation is unwarranted, unnecessary. BJP does not have any issues against our government. That is why they are making this non-issue an issue," Union minister V Narayanasamy said reacting to BJP's tirade against Shinde.
He said that what the home minister meant was that "we should not allow terrorism by any religious group or in any part of the country".
Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said it was a "diversionary tactics" by BJP to shift attention from the circumstances in which they had to change their BJP president at the last moment.
"What wrong has Shinde said? He is the home minister. He must be having some facts. The party has already made it clear that Congress believes that terror has no religion or colour. Then what is this fuss all about. They are just trying to divert attention," Chowdhary said.
Singh also played the dalit card in defence of Shinde asking whether BJP was trying to build this atmospohere "because they are not liking a dalit home minister".
"The home minister, himself, has taken back his words on Hindu terror. Congress has also made it clear that terror has no religion or colour.
"If BJP asks Shinde to apologize, we ask LK Advani, Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharti to apologize," he said, asking why Advani went and Sushma Swaraj had met the Prime Minister over Pragya Thakur's arrest," the AICC leader said.
'Sack Shinde'
Leaders of ruling BJP in Karnataka hit the streets in Bangalore on Thursday as part of the party's nation-wide protest against Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's remarks alleging RSS and BJP were involved in "Hindu terror".
Leading the protest at the busy Mysore Circle in the state capital, BJP state unit President and deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa slammed Shinde's for his controversial remarks and demanded that AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sack him.
"Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh should sack Shinde from the Union Cabinet for linking Sangh Parivar including the BJP with 'Hindu terror'. If the Union government does not sack Shinde, BJP will take the fight to the streets," Eshwarappa warned.
Eshwarappa accused the Congress of creating a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, who have been living peacefully for several years.
Hindu terror: Congress rallies behind Shinde as BJP wants him sacked
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Hindu terror: Congress rallies behind Shinde as BJP wants him sacked
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Hindu terror: Congress rallies behind Shinde as BJP wants him sacked
