Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Taking on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over his allegation that Congress hides behind the burqa of secularism when in trouble, Digvijay Singh on Monday hit out at BJP’s poll campaign chief and asked him to explain his definition of secularism.
The Congress general secretary leader asked Narendra Modi to explain what secularism means for him. “According to the RSS and BJP leader Advaniji, one religion, one culture, one nation is the definition of secularism. Modiji should explain what his definition of secularism is," Digvijay said.
Taking similar lines, Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari termed Modi`s recent tirade as BJP`s desperate attempt to `polarize voters on communal lines.`
Talking to media persons on Monday, Tewari said, "NDA has imploded. BJP stands in isolation, so they want to polarize voters on communal lines."
Tearing into Modi`s speech where he took on Congress` `cloak of secularism`, Tiwari said it was an all `pervasive cloak`.
He added, "While the wheels of communalism consider libertarians as `kutte ka baccha` — puppy to be crushed under SUV. The cloak envelops Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, people of all faiths."
Suggesting an alternative to what he called was the "extremely sectarian wheels of communalism that needed to be crushed", Tiwari said, "We are back to Congress` basic vision of India which is pluralistic and inclusive."
With an eye on impending general elections, Tiwari signed off saying, "(It is the) right time for Indians to stand up and reaffirm their commitment to basic ideas of secularism."
In his first public rally after taking over as the BJP`s poll campaign chief, Modi called for a "Congress-free India" and slammed the UPA over a flagging economy and policy paralysis.
"Whenever the Congress is in difficulty over issues like inflation, or when it is reprimanded by the Supreme Court, or when its ministers are in jail, or when there is massive corruption, or when innocent girls are raped, the party does not reply to questions raised by the nation. Instead, it wears a `burqa` of secularism and hides in a bunker, lamenting that secularism is in danger," Modi told the audience at the B J Medical College ground in Pune.
Modi also attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the issue of his party`s "failure" to eradicate poverty and alleged that it was raising the bogey of "threat to secularism" to throttle people`s aspirations.
