BJP to protest Shinde's 'Hindu terror' remarks
The BJP will hold countrywide protests from Thursday against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's "Hindu terror" remarks, Rajnath Singh said after being elected party president Wednesday.
Protests and rallies would be held and effigies representing the UPA government would be burnt by party workers to register their protest, the BJP's newly installed president said.
"The recent statement of Shinde shows the government is not serious in its fight against terrorism," Rajnath Singh said, addressing party workers here.
His comments were countered by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who said: "Rajnath Singh should say why he met Pragya Singh Thakur and Col. Purohit in jail, who were arrested in terror activities."
Lt.Col. Prasad Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur have been accused of orchestrating the Malegaon blasts of 2008.
Shinde said Sunday: "Whether it is the BJP or RSS, their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism."
Home Secretary R.K. Singh backed Shinde's comments.
"After investigation into the blasts in Samjhauta Express, at Mecca Masjid and at Ajmer Sharif, we have 10 names of those who were associated with the RSS at some point or the other," Singh said Tuesday.
However, Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi Tuesday said it was a "slip of the tongue" by the home minister and the Congress did not believe in identifying terror with religion.
