Row In Parliament Over ’Hindu Ruler’ Remark Attributed to Home Minister

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 30, 2015:  A debate on ’rising intolerance’ in Parliament saw fierce clashes over a controversial comment attributed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh by Left lawmaker Mohammad Salim.
   
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has demanded an apology after Mr Salim quoted him as telling a magazine that India had the first "Hindu ruler in 800 years." "I have never been hurt as much as I have been today in my entire Parliamentary career," Mr Singh said.
   
"This is a huge allegation. He should prove it or apologise," the home minister said. Mr Salim then read out the comment from a newsmagazine and challenged Rajnath Singh to send notice to the publication for quoting him wrongly.
   
Mr Salim, who initiated the debate, alleged that "we are straying from our culture of tolerance" and added: "We want a rational India, secular India."
   
The discussion on the perceived rise in "intolerance" in the country - a subject that has ranged the opposition against the BJP-led government - will end without a vote.
   
Incidents like the killing of rationalists, mob attacks over cow slaughter and beef-eating rumours and controversial pronouncements by members of the ruling BJP or groups linked to it have been held up by opposition parties as examples of growing intolerance under the current regime.
   
A number of writers, artistes and filmmakers have returned their national awards to protest against what they believe is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s inadequate response to these incidents. Film star Aamir Khan provoked a storm by commenting on a sense of "growing disquiet" over incidents and sharing that his wife Kiran Rao had talked about moving out of India for the safety of their child.
   
There are differences among opposition parties, however, on whether to allow disruptions to cloud business like they have in the past.
   
Sultan Ahmed of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress has said raising issues for debates shouldn’t transform into disruptions. "Disruptions are also a kind of intolerance," Mr Ahmed said.
   
A "climate change" in Parliament will be encouraging for the government, which wants to push important legislation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the biggest tax reform since independence.
   
On Friday, PM Modi reached out to the Congress by inviting his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi over tea in what was quickly dubbed as "chai pe charcha".