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'Intolerance' again rocks LS

Last Updated 30 November 2015, 19:36 IST

Sparks flew in the Lok Sabha on Monday as it took up the situation arising out of incidents of intolerance in the country.

CPM member Mohammad Salim accused the government of inaction on several incidents of intolerance such as the killing of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, the torching to death of two Dalit children in Haryana and return of awards by writers, scientists and intellectuals.

Congress leader K C Venugopal and Trinamool leader Dinesh Trivedi also accused the Modi government of turning a deaf ear to the rising incidents of intolerance that have led to scientists, writers and intellectuals return awards.

Joining the debate, BJP member Meenakshi Lekhi rubbished the “perception” of intolerance and described the artistes, filmmakers, writers and “so called intellectuals” as “intellectual mercenaries” who were creating tensions between communities.

She also said those returning awards were “rewarded” by the earlier governments for “political considerations”.

Initiating the discussion, Salim likened the situation in the country to the rise of hardline forces in Afghanistan that replaced the soft Islam practiced there.

“The Taliban came and preached hardline Islam. What happened? Bamiyan Buddha was destroyed,” Salim said.

“Do not use religion as a shield and do injustice. It will only lead to destruction,” Salim said citing the resounding defeat of BJP in the Bihar elections.

Salim’s speech drew frequent protests from the BJP members, particularly when he quipped that Shatrughan Sinha had foreseen the defeat of the party in Bihar.

Earlier, the ruling and the opposition sides locked horns after Salim alleged that Home Minister Rajnath Singh was quoted by the magazine as having made the ‘Hindu leader’ remark after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister last year.

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(Published 30 November 2015, 19:36 IST)

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