BJP, Cong MPs spar over Azad's remarks on RSS and ISIS

New Delhi, March 14: Ruling BJP and Congress today sparred in Rajya Sabha over remarks of Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad allegedly comparing Hindutva outfit RSS with terrorist organisation ISIS.

While the ruling party and its ministers wanted Azad to withdraw his controversial remarks and apologise, the Congress leader denied drawing any parallel between the two and said he was submitting a CD of his speech to the government and is willing to face privilege motion if anything wrong was found.

After Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slipped in a reference to the alleged remarks by Azad while giving government's response to concern by members over remarks by RSS leaders' on continuation of reservation, Azad read out the verbatim speech he made at an event organised by Jamait Ulama-i-Hind last week.

He said he had in the speech stated there was no fight between Hindus and Muslims in India but a fight on ideology.

Ruing why Muslims were joining a terrorist organisation like ISIS that is destroying Islamic traditions, Azad said he had stated that "we oppose to organisations like ISIS like we oppose RSS." Also, "if someone in Islam does wrong, they are no less than RSS," he said.

"Where is the comparison," he asked. "If I had said ISIS and RSS are same" there would have been a comparison. He said he had stated that Hindu, Muslim and Sikh fundamentalists have to be fought as they are against the country.

"We have to fight them all together." Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said he personally respected Azad but "he should think if he has knowingly or unknowingly slipped ... you have given respectability to ISIS."

PTI