New Delhi:
The Bharatiya Janata Party – led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh – has hit back strongly to Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Parliament Monday, accusing the Congress MP of insulting the Hindu community.
This was after Mr Gandhi – armed with a copy of the Constitution and photos of religious icons, including Lord Shiva, Prophet Mohammed, and Guru Nanak Singh – launched a fierce attack on the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, claiming neither truly represented all Hindus.
Mr Modi rose twice to rebut the Congress leader’s remarks.
“Calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue…” Mr Modi said the first time.
His second intervention drew jeers from his rivals; the Prime Minister declared the Constitution had taught him to respect the post of the Leader of the Opposition, which is held today by Mr Gandhi.
The specific trigger to all the ruckus was Rahul Gandhi’s pointed attack on the BJP and the RSS, whom he accused of violence against minorities. “Our great men spoke about non-violence (but) those who call themselves Hindus talk only about hatred… aap Hindu ho hi nahin (you are not a Hindu),” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s Fiery Speech
Mr Gandhi began his speech by claiming a “full-scale and systematic assault on the idea of India… the Constitution… and on people who resisted the attack on the Constitution”. Many opposition leaders were “personally attacked”, the Congress leader thundered and said “some are still in jail”
The reference seemed to be to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose AAP is part of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc. Mr Kejriwal is in Delhi’s Tihar Jail over his arrest in the liquor policy case.
