Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government won’t allow intolerance at any cost and urged intellectuals who have returned their awards to take them back, as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of silence over remarks justifying intolerance by some of his colleagues.
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After the controversy, during which Rajnath Singh said: “He had never felt so hurt as today in my political career”, Outlook issued a statement via Twitter, clarifying that the quote was wrongly attributed to Rajnath.
“Mohd Salim levelled a serious allegation against me”.
The Leader of the House makes statements outside the House “demeaning” the Rajya Sabha, he said. I am giving you one: “please ask your ministers to think before they speak”.
Hitting out at critics, Singh said, “If any party is a victim of intolerance, it is the BJP. If Rajnath Singh is denying it, then let him send a legal notice to the publication”, said Salim.
When some BJP members questioned whether he was present when such a reported comment was made, the CPI(M) member said, “I don’t have such misfortune to attend RSS meeting”. The uproar forced the first adjournment of the Lok Sabha since the winter session began last Thursday.
Congress insiders said the party has built up momentum against the government over “the situation arising out of incidents of intolerance in the country”.
He added, “If our government is at all intolerant, we are intolerant towards corruption, terrorism, filth, poverty and atrocities against the poor, the girls and women”.
After repeated disruptions, the debate resumed after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Mr Salim’s remarks would not be a part of the proceeding.
When the House reassembled at 1405 hours, Rudy again insisted that Salim should withdraw his remarks till he is able to prove the contents of the report.
Biju Janata Dal’s Bhartruhari Mahtab said a member has to give prior notice before levelling allegations against another member.
In his “Mann ki baat” address, Modi had said that the government will not re-promulgate the land ordinance which expired on August 31 and had declared readiness to accept any suggestions to benefit the farmers in the pending bill on it. But the unrelenting Congress members continued to raise slogans against Singh demanding an apology.
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Earlier, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha made a decision to schedule the debate on intolerance in the Upper House for Wednesday. “The government and the House should thank Comrade Salim”, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told media here.
