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Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 27
Though the world is seeing President Barack Obama’s parting shots at “Town Hall-style meeting” today as a “challenge to India religious tolerance”, the BJP termed his comments an endorsement of what PM Narendra Modi feels on the issue.
Coming against the backdrop of an ongoing controversy over religious conversions and “Ghar Wapsi” programmes by right-wing Hindu organisations, Obama’s comments were lapped up by Modi and BJP’s detractors. However, BJP spokesman GVL Narsimha Rao stated that what Obama said today was “absolutely identical” to the Prime Minister’s views are on the sensitive issue.
“PM Narendra Modi believes with conviction that religious tolerance and freedom are not just a part of the Indian Constitution but also of the great Indian tradition. Tolerance is India’s singular contribution to the world. That there should be religious tolerance is what the PM also believes,” Rao said.
Government functionaries who have been part of the high-profile visit, refuse to deduce “any message for India” from the US President’s speech. They say the PM has spelled his mind on provocative statements which could divert attention from his government’s agenda of economic reforms and the matter ends there.
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