Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday came out in support of Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde over his remarks on saffron terror.
Khurshid said Shinde's remarks that terror training was being imparted in camps run by the BJP and the RSS were factually correct.
"Our stated position is fully shared by the Home Minister. His statements are based on facts," Khurshid told reporters here.
"Any form of violence by extremists of any kind, irrespective of religion, is not good for India," Khurshid said, adding, “Terror does not have religion... we should not get distracted by a phrase here or a phrase there.”
He appealed everyone, including those in the media, to “support us in our battle against terror”.
“We are fighting terror against India. I urge the media and the people to help us fight unwholesome terror,” the minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Shinde had said that the BJP and its parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were recruiting and training Hindu militants.
However, later changing his stance, Shinde clarified that he only quoted newspaper reports to point out growing incidents of saffron militancy in the country.
Shinde also claimed that the BJP uses cultural nationalism to emotionally divide the country, whereas the Congress worked on the policy of consensus.
Following Shinde’s remarks, the BJP had demanded that the Home Minister be sacked for levelling the allegations. The national party also called for nationwide protests on January 24.
Meanwhile, as regards the ties with Pakistan, Khurshid said until there is a visible change in the atmosphere nothing should be said or done.
Stressing that the focus of the government’s foreign policy was to “maintain peace with our neighbours”, Khurshid said, “We don't want to take any decision in a hurry. We will consider the nation's sentiment before taking the next decision in the matter.”
First Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 16:05