BJP has distorted tolerant 'Sanatan' tradition: Digvijay

Bhopal, Nov 9: Irked by Digvijay Singh's demand for probing radical Hindu outfits in July 13 Mumbai blasts, RSS leader Indresh Kumar today (Nov 9) dubbed him as a "terrorist", drawing a quick retaliation from the Congress leader, who accused BJP of distorting tolerant Sanatan tradition.

"I am saying this as Singh is also a Hindu and if Hindus are terrorists, he is also one," Kumar said delivering lecture.

Soon after the triple blasts in Mumbai, the AICC general secretary had kicked up a controversy by saying that he did not rule out the involvement of RSS in the incident and demanded that the role of Hindu hardline outfits also be investigated. "RSS is spreading terrorism in the country, and it has been making bomb factories," Singh had said.

Kumar, who has been named by the NIA in the Mecca Masjid blasts case, attacked the Congress, saying,"Those whose hands are red with the blood of those killed in the anti-Sikh riots should think twice before hurling charges at others."

Responding to the RSS leader"s fulminations, Singh said, “No true Hindu can ever be a terrorist". Singh said neither Hindus nor Muslims could be branded as terrorists “as a whole" and added he was against fundamentalists belonging to
any religion.

He said the 'Sanatan" tradition among Hindus was very tolerant and that had allowed Christians and Muslims to come and rule the country. "It is the BJP which has distorted this Sanatan tradition and this in turn is creating problems for the country," he said.

On Anna Hazare's statement that he should be sent to a mental hospital, Singh said not only the Gandhian but many others including BJP President Nitin Gadkari and party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad had said so. The Congress leader said whenever people found it uncomfortable to answer his questions they said such things. "Saying that I should be sent to the mental hospital is not the right way to answer questions I raised," he said. Singh, however, said he held Hazare in high esteem but added that the same could not be said of his associates like Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal.

Criticising Singh"s statement, that RSS was actively supporting his anti- corruption campaign, Hazare had said that the Congress leader should be sent to a mental hospital.

PTI