Chidambaram should apologise for saffron terror remark: BJP

Former BJP chief Rajnath Singh today threatened an agitation by nationalist forces if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not seek an apology from the Home Minister for his statement.

Jaipur: Terming P Chidambaram`s "saffron
terror" remark as a serious mistake on his part, former BJP
chief Rajnath Singh today threatened an agitation by
nationalist forces if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not
seek an apology from the Home Minister for his statement.

"Home Minister Chidambaram has committed a serious
mistake. Nationalist forces would raise this issue, and launch
an agitation if the PM does not seek an apology from him and
direct him to withdraw his words," Singh told a press
conference after launching state BJP`s house journal "Maru
Kamal Darpan" here.

The Home Minister`s clarification that the remark was not
directed against the BJP would not be sufficient, he said
adding that the party will make it an issue.

"Saffron is not just a word related to BJP but is a
symbol of peace and happiness. Saffron is also one of the
colours in the national flag and represents the Indian ethos
of sacrifice and devotion," the BJP leader said.

Noting that terror has no religion, Rajnath said it could
not be associated with a particular caste, creed, colour or
religion.

"We never use a term like Islamic terror because the
scourge can not be linked with a particular set of social,
moral, ethnic and religious values," he said.

Charging the Congress-led UPA with miserably failing on
all fronts including internal and external security, he said
both terror and naxalite problems were a matter of great
concern for the country.

Describing Naxalism as not just a state or law and order
issue, he said the UPA government should form a joint action
plan to fight it.

With a touch of irony, the former BJP chief said, "UPA
government is known all over the world for growing Naxal
menace and price rise."

On the current crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath said
things could not normalise in the Valley until Article 370 of
the Constitution was abrogated.

When asked why the step was not taken by the Vajpayee
government, he said it was running on a Common Mininum
Programme (CMP) and it was not possible for it to take major
decisions without an absolute majority in Parliament.

Asked to comment on Prime Minister`s statement yesterday
showing his preference for more young members in his cabinet,
Singh said, "I will not name Congress` youth leader but the
ABVP (BJP`s student wing) has emerged victorious in the
students` union polls not only in Delhi University but also in
Rajasthan University".

Claiming that the university poll results proved that it
was wrong to assume that the youth were attracted towards the
Congress, he said they showed the BJP`s revial and return to
power from youth level.

-PTI

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