PM Modi- worst Victim of ideological intolerance: Jaitley

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Nov 01:  Turning tables on the Congress and Left thinkers, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today accused them of practising "ideological intolerance" towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to project India as an intolerant society through "structured and organised propaganda".

Mr Jaitley also appealed to "every well-wisher of India and the present government" not to make statements that could vitiate the atmosphere and obstruct growth.

 

"While the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is trying to accelerate India’s growth, there are many who have never intellectually accepted the idea of the BJP being in power. This obviously includes the Congress, many Left thinkers and activists. Over decades they have practiced ideological intolerance towards BJP," Mr Jaitley said in a Facebook post.

He further said that "since 2002, the Prime Minister himself has been the worst victim of these ideological intolerance".

"Their strategy is twofold. Firstly, obstruct Parliament and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organised propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society."

The truth is otherwise, Mr Jaitley said, adding the perpetrators of this propaganda had never allowed alternative viewpoints to grow in either universities, academic institutions or cultural bodies which they controlled. "Their intolerance extends to not accepting an alternative ideological pole."

As regards alleged lynching of a man in Dadri, he said that it was a "stray incident". "It was both unfortunate and condemnable. The guilty will be taken to task."

Notwithstanding such aberrations, the finance minister stressed "India remains a highly tolerant and liberal society. Our cultural values have imbibed co-existence. India has repeatedly rejected intolerance. It does not respond to provocations.

"It is, therefore, incumbent upon every well-wisher of India and the present government to make sure that no action or statement of his provides a tool in the hands of those who want to obstruct India’s growth story. The obstructers have a simple plan - if they can’t fight politically, they fight with hostile propaganda," he said.


Jaitley making ridiculous intolerance remarks to please his boss: Cong


The Congress hit back at finance minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday for accusing it of practising “ideological intolerance” towards the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying while he may be out to please his “boss”, his remarks were “ridiculous”.

The Sonia Gandhi-led party said the common man and the President expressed concern over the “rising atmosphere of intolerance”.

“Jaitley, he is out to please the boss (Modi)...it does not behove him to talk like this at a time when common man to the President and Moody’s to industrialists, the intellectual class, those who read books and write books, are expressing concerns over the rising atmosphere of intolerance,” Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said.

“Even the US President Obama has talked about this (intolerance),” he said, adding whatever Jaitley has said is “ridiculous”.

He was reacting after Jaitley, in a Facebook post, accused the Congress and Left of practising “ideological intolerance” towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to project India as an intolerant society through structured and organised propaganda.

Jaitley said that since 2002, “the Prime Minister himself has been the worst victim of ideological intolerance.

“Their strategy is twofold. Firstly, obstruct Parliament and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organised propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society.”