How many nationalist Indians do you know Digvijayji?

Bangalore, July 13: As usual, it's time for Digvijay Singh to let the world know about his precious comments. He likes to give his opinion on everything under the sun and it was no wonder that the leader had to say something on the massive controversy that broke out over Gujarat Narendra Modi's recent interview to Reuters.

Now, a day after the controversy sparked off, Singh said one should not divide a great nation like India on the basis of religion. He said in one of his tweets that shouldn't we all be nationalist Indians rather than Hindu, Christian or Sikh nationalists?

Well, Mr Singh, if you and your party really think that one should be a true Indian first, then why is there no reflection of that in the performance of the government run by your party? Nationalism is a complex concept but if you feel that it should be made a simplistic one of 'Indian nationalism', then why doesn't the Congress-led UPA have a brave heart to tackle the Chinese despite their repeated incursions in the Indian territory and provoking the Indian sentiments.

Why is your government not comfortable in dealing with Beijing's sinister designs and even can't reply to a general's threat from across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), forget a roar.

The Chinese can make such statement on the eve of your defence minister's visit to that country and your entire establishment begins to panic. They take away your camera (was it made in China?) at a border area where your army has a strategic advantage. One of your great leaders ignored the peril at the doorstep 51 years ago even while speaking about territorial nationalism and we were left red-faced.

Your nationalism left the Kashmir problem a permanent headache for India, draining billions and sacrificing human lives. It won't ever be resolved, we all know. Still you speak about Indian nationalism?

Seeing your tweets, one feels your intense passion for Indian nationalism is confined to a cricket ground and gets stirred up when Dhoni hits a six against Sri Lanka.

When a couple of regional parties blackmail you over the question of the same neighbour, your government doesn't know what to do and cave in under pressure, putting the country's interests at risk. Where is that nationalist Indian, one would like to know.

Even small countries like Maldives and Bangladesh can make your government toil on any given issue. Do we have a nationalist Indian among us who can take on all adversaries, both at home and abroad?

Modi was perfectly okay when he spoke about Hindu nationalism. Just like you party's territorial nationalism, the saffron politics has stressed cultural nationalism.

The phrase 'Hindu nationalism' that Modi spoke about is essentially a reflection of that brand of nationalism and not a narrow religious one. It is shocking that leaders like you betray your own so-called foundation of secularism by unnecessarily fuelling controversies to fool the people of the country.

And about 'dividing the great nation on religious lines', one sincerely hopes that you haven't forgotten that it was one of your leaders who had systematically ignited the dangerous fire of religious politics in the early 1980s but couldn't manage it in the end and paid the price for it with her life. Even today, religious sentiments are being stoked in that part of the country and yet you feel assured that everything is fine. Where is that elusive Indian nationalism?

Let's give it a break, Mr Singh. Saw that your granddaughter got engaged recently. Spend the happy times in a happy mood. Why speak on issues that are beyond comprehension and create a mindless debate? And please look around before you speak. Gujarat isn't the only place for political pilgrimage.