New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid yesterday backed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s “Hindu terror” comments, saying what he had said was “based on facts” as revealed by investigative agencies.
“Our stated position is based entirely on facts as the investigative agencies have made available to the government... Attempts to divert attention and to push it in a particular and premeditated direction by some people is repudiated by the information that is available,” Khurshid told reporters.
“We have categorically said many times that any form of violence that is propagated by extremists of any kind, irrespective of religion, is what is dangerous for the country, terror does not have a religion,” he added.
He also said that “religion should not be associated with terror, it is terror that we are fighting and those are the facts available... We should not be distracted by a phrase, the determination is what that matters”.
Shinde had referred to “Hindu terrorism” and “saffron terrorism” during the Congress conclave in Jaipur on Sunday.
“After investigations, we have seen that be it the BJP or the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism. This is a matter of concern. We are keeping a strict eye on it,” Shinde had said in his speech.
The minister later clarified that he had only stated what had been appearing in the media and his reference was to “saffron terrorism”.
The BJP has reacted very strongly to Shinde’s statement and demanded he be sacked and an apology from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The BJP yesterday condemned External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for backing Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s comments, saying it was “irresponsible” and India indeed is a victim of terror sponsored from across the border.
“It is a serious issue. Now the external affairs minister of India is supporting the home minister in the most irresponsible way. The BJP takes serious objection to utterances of senior ministers,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here. He said Pakistan has been the epicentre of terrorism.
“The BJP is deeply pained and stressed as to the line Salman Khurshid has taken. He is supposed to weigh his words. India is indeed a victim of terror and terror is sponsored from across the border,” said Prasad.
“Remarkable achievement of our foreign policy over the years in exposing Pakistan internationally is not to be compromised by these types of utterly irresponsible statements by home minister and external affairs minister,” he said. Reiterating its demand for the removal of Shinde, The BJP said his statement has favoured Pakistan and terrorists.
“The home minister’s statement has worked in favour of Pakistan and terrorists. We had cornered Pakistan on the international stage on terror, but Shinde has now given voice to them,” said BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
IANS
