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New Delhi, December 1
A picture of “divided India” was emerging instead of a “developed” one, Opposition leaders said on Tuesday, criticising the Central Government on Tuesday for what is seen as growing intolerance in the country.
Referring to what actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan said about communal intolerance, NCP leader Supriya Sule said it was Central Government’s duty to make people feel secure.
"Let’s not run down Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. They have contributed substantially globally for India... their contribution is huge," she said, participating in debate on 'intolerance' in the House.
"We are looking for a developed India but if you read any newspaper or watch any channel, actually we are looking at a divided India. There are very serious concerns raised from various sections of society," Sule, NCP president Sharad Pawar’s daughter, said, urging Home Minister Rajnath Singh to caution BJP members about commenting on anything related to intolerance.
Sule called the deaths of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar — who died in 2013 — and Govind Pansare — who died in January this year — acts of intolerance. Both were free thinkers from Maharahstra.
"I represent a state that is suffering from intolerance...People now ask me, what is happening in your state? " she said.
She accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of doing nothing when the music shows cancelled in Mumbai, referring to Pakistan’s ghazal singer Ghulam Ali’s shows that were cancelled in Mumbai and Pune in October.
She said issues such as the beef ban and the controversial “ghar wapsi” did not go well with the incumbent government visions of smart cities and digital India and advised the government to think of what was happening and “clean up” instead of berating intellectuals who were returning their awards.
YSR Congress’s Varaprasad Rao called the incidents of the past 18 months "little disturbing".
Samajwadi Party member Dharmendra Yadav said the Central Government should look at issues like poverty and unemployment instead of discussing intolerance.
He also claimed that a minister from the Central Government had tried to intimidate the minority communities in the country after the Dadri Lynching incident. A man was beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri in September after rumours spread in the village that he ate beef.
BJP MP Kirron Kher asked intellectuals who returned their awards protesting growing intolerance in the country where they were when Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of their homeland or during the 1984 Sikh riots and wondered how they measured intolerance.
She also asked the Congress were their “tolerance” was when Amitabh Bachchan's invitation as chief guest at the Goa Film Festival was withdrawn when UPA was in power.
However, she admitted there were “wrong statements from both sides" and condemned the attack on former BJP member Sudheendra Kulkarni by Shiv Sena activists. She also referred to an alleged attack by NCP when her husband and actor Anupam Kher supported the Anna movement and said "fringe elements are everywhere."
To this NCP's Supriya Sule said: "For all this time those who did it were hooligans. But this time they are your partners in the government". This led to protests by Shiv Sena members.
Defending the government, Akali Dal member PS Chandumajra said those talking about "intolerance were showing tolerance" in the House.
Bringing the dismissal of SAD government in 1980s in Punjab when the Congress was at the Central government into the debate, he said it was an instance of "raat tak mantri the, aur subah santri ban gaye (you were a Minister till the night, but became a sentry next morning)".
RJD's Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav demanded action against Union Minister VK Singh for his controversial remarks remark against Dalits.
AAP MP from Patiala Dharamvira Gandhi said intolerance has increased in the past few months and it was the responsibility of the majority community to take the responsibility of protecting the minority. — PTI
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