Union home minister Rajnath Singh distanced himself and the Modi government from Godse worship by stating that the respective state government should take action against anyone worshiping or celebrating the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.
“How can anyone worship Nathuram Godse?” Singh wondered in his speech and added that the Center has never stopped any state from taking action against those responsible for idolizing the extremist who killed Gandhi.
Opposition has targeted Modi and his government after Hindu Mahasabha constructed a temple for Godse and BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj allegedly calling him a nationalist.
Singh was replying to the attention motion on the issue of inflammatory speech brought by the opposition in the parliament.
Minister of state for human resource department RS Katheria as well as other MPs and elected representatives of BJP including Sakshi Maharaj, Karnatka MP Ananth Kumar Hegde and BJP MLAs in different states have been accused by the opposition for ‘hate speech’.
Rajnath in his speech gave a clean chit to Katheria who is accused of delivering a hate speech at a meeting held in Agra to condole the killing of a VHP activist.
The home minister said that an examination of the footage of the meeting showed that Katheria’s speech didn’t have any objectionable content against any community. He also added that even the UP government has not named him in the FIR it has lodged over the incident. In the FIR lodged by the UP police, three others have been booked.
Opposition leaders came down heavily on the government for indulging leaders who are making provocative remarks.
Congress MP Raj Babar blamed the elected representatives of BJP for trying to turn the “city of love” into a “hate factory” and also added that they were engaged in “politics of hate” rather than taking ahead the agenda of “development”.
Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “There is double-speak by government, one for the party and another for government. This is not acceptable. Why has the government has not filed sedition cases against such leaders? Earlier, the government claimed there was communal harmony in the country after some opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha expressed concern over alleged ‘hate speeches’ made in Agra by BJP leaders.”
During Zero Hour, nominated member Anu Aga requested the government to ensure that unity and diversity of the country is preserved.
