Rajnath Singh rules out action against Ram Shankar Katheria, says India world's most secular country

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India is the world's most secular country.

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said politics shouldn't be played over secularism and called upon all political parties to join hands in protecting India's unity and integrity.

While responding to a calling attention motion on alleged inflammatory speeches by union ministers and elected representatives in violation of the Constitution and oath of office, the Home Minister told the Rajya Sabha that India is the world's most secular country.

While putting forward government's stand in the Upper House, the Union Minister said, "We consider anyone in this country to be a nationalist. Terrorism has no colour, caste or religion."

Taking part in a debate in Rajya Sabha, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, "A single party cannot protect India's unity and integrity, we all will have to make collective efforts for that."

While giving a clean chit to Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria over alleged provocative speech, the Home Minister said, the video of Katheria has been examined and nothing objectionable was found.

"I heard Katheria's speech and I made others hear it. We all agreed there is nothing inflammatory in the speech," he said.

Katheria had on Sunday attended a condolence meeting held for VHP worker Arun Mahaur, who was shot dead in Agra on Thursday.

At the meeting, he said: "This conspiracy that is being hatched against the Hindu community, we have to be be alert to recognise it and strengthen ourselves."

Katheria represents Agra constituency in the Lok Sabha and is minister of state in the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri, Babu Lal had also attended the condolence meeting.

"In the world, we are the nation where people from all sects of Islam and Christianity are found," Rajnath exhorted.

He further said, "A subject like communal harmony should not be measured in terms of political gain or loss," adding that "it should only be measured in terms of justice and humanity."