Modi warns Hindutva leaders against 'loose talk'

In the wake of reports of violence against minorities in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his government’s commitment to zero tolerance of “any discrimination” against “any community”, sending a tough message to Hindutva affiliates.

In an interview to a news agency, Modi said, “Our Constitution guarantees religious freedom of every citizen and that is not negotiable. I have said this before and I say it again: any discrimination or violence against any community will not be tolerated. My position on this is very clear: Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas”.

Without taking names, Modi also expressed his displeasure over controversial comments made by motormouths in his party BJP and by other senior functionaries in the RSS and the VHP. “Some unfortunate comments have been made, which were totally uncalled for,” the PM said.

The controversial statements by the saffron brigade have come down since Modi’s early days in office last year as he had conveyed to the RSS top brass that delivering electoral promises would be difficult if unsolicited remarks continue to hog headlines. From various platforms, be it at social functions or through media interactions, Modi has tried to clear apprehensions about the present dispensation’s handling of minority affairs. Reports about communal clashes, however, have refused to die down and the latest was about attacks on Muslims in BJP-ruled Haryana, forcing them to leave their homes in Ballabhgarh.   The PM in his bid to quell perception that the NDA government was only pro-corporates stated, “We stand for every one of the 1.25 billion Indians regardless of caste or creed, and we will work for the progress of every one of them. Every faith in our country has equal rights; it is equal not just before the law, but also in society”.
Unmindful of criticism from the political class as well as from a section of leading industrialists and economists, Modi emphasised that “Achhe Din (good days)” have already arrived.