New Delhi: Politics intensified on Wednesday over Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s remarks on secularism, delivered at a book launch event in the national capital, triggering sharp exchanges between the BJP and the Congress.
Defending Gadkari’s statement, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the Union Minister had spoken “absolutely correctly” while addressing the issue of secularism and communal politics.
“Who accepted the partition of the country on religious grounds? It was the Congress party that accepted it, while Jinnah had demanded it. Who caused the most Hindu-Muslim riots in the country?” Poonawalla asked.
Continuing his attack, he added, “Even today, who talks about a Muslim reservation? Who demands quotas for Muslims in contracts?” The BJP leader accused the Congress of indulging in appeasement politics while questioning its commitment to genuine secular values.
Countering the BJP’s assertions, Congress MP Imran Masood rejected what he termed as divisive politics and reminded the BJP of India’s freedom struggle.
“Run the government together if you can. Who laid the foundation of Hindu-Muslim unity before the freedom movement?” Masood said.
Emphasising historical unity, he added, “During the struggle for independence, Hindus and Muslims fought side by side. In the 1857 revolt, on one side was Mangal Pandey, while on the other, several ulema faced the gallows.”
Masood asserted that communal divisions deepened only after the emergence of the Muslim League and later political forces, remarking, “This divisive work started only after the rise of your party and the Muslim League.”
The reactions came in response to Gadkari’s address at the launch of the book ‘Sanatan Sanskriti Ki Atal Drishti’, authored by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Professor Vasudev Devnani. The event, held in New Delhi, was also attended by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan.
Speaking at the launch, Gadkari stressed that secularism should not be misconstrued as appeasement of any single community. He explained that true secularism is rooted in the principle of ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhav’, meaning equal respect for all religions, justice for all, and equal treatment of every citizen.
Reiterating former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s views, Gadkari said, “India is a secular country. It was secular, and it will remain secular.”
He underlined that this ethos flows from India’s civilisation rather than any political ideology. “This is not because of the BJP or RSS. It is because of Bharatiya Sanskriti, Hindu Sanskriti, and Sanatan Sanskriti, which teaches us to wish for the welfare of the entire world,” he said.
In a veiled swipe at the Nehru-Gandhi family, Gadkari said that Indian culture focuses on collective welfare rather than individual or familial interests.
IANS
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