Harmony is an indispensable part of secularism in India: Naqvi

New Delhi, Feb 2: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said harmony is an indispensable part of secularism in India and should be used as a weapon to defeat terrorism, radicalism and against forces wanting to create division and confrontation in society.

The Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs, while addressing a youth delegation at his residence, said it is wrong to link terrorism with any religion and terrorist elements will succeed in their nefarious designs if we do so.

"Harmony is an indispensable part of secularism in India. We have to protect this democratic heritage and use secularism as a weapon for society's progress, brotherhood and unity.

We should use strength of secularism against forces who want to create division and confrontation in the society. "We have to be cautious so that terror elements' conspiracy to create confrontation in the society can be defeated through our unity and harmony," he said. Naqvi told the delegation of 'India Against Terrorism' that "Political exploitation of secularism" and "Politically motivated propaganda of communalism" should be stopped.

"We have to walk on the strong path of country's beautiful cultural heritage and constitutional values so that our nation's secular and constitutional character can be protected". In a veiled attack on Congress, he said "selective secularism" is a big problem for India's secular democratic character.

"Secularism should be used as a weapon to strengthen unity and harmony in the society, but some 'political champions of secularism' have been misusing it for 'political exploitation' which has affected the soul of secularism."

The senior BJP leader said India being the world's biggest democracy and a secular country, has different religions, languages, culture and regional diversity but our country has been functioning through constitutional values and principles and not 'religious fatwa or dictates'. He exhorted youth to play an important role in the fight against terrorism and radicalism.

"The youth should not only be alert against evil designs of terrorist groups but they will also have to launch an 'awareness war' against these terror elements," he said.

Naqvi said the Modi-led government has adopted 'zero tolerance' to terrorism and terrorists and their masters are "nervous" due to this approach. "We can defeat their cowardly acts through strength of our country's unity and rich cultural heritage," he said.

PTI