Congress cautions Haryana ​CM Khattar, says stop falling into RSS agenda

New Delhi: The Congress Party on Friday dubbed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's controversial remark on beef to be a sad day for Indian democracy and advised him to stop falling into the RSS agenda of ensuring that a hate campaign continues to run in this country.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the cow slaughter was banned in India much before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was born.

"An elected Chief Minister cannot decide the conditionality for citizenship of India. It's indeed very very sad. I am told that Kattar ji has withdrawn his statement," Surjewala told ANI.

"As someone, who is less experienced perhaps, and is much younger in age, we will advise him to refrain from such polarising comments and fall into the RSS agenda of ensuring that a hate campaign continues to run in this country," he added.

Amid sharp criticism from the political fraternity, Khattar today offered a clarification over his controversial statement that 'Muslims need to give up beef to live in India', saying he has been quoted out of context and the words had been 'misinterpreted'.