New Delhi: A debate in Parliament today on 'rising intolerance' was waylaid by a controversial comment attributed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh by Left parliamentarian Mohd Salim.
For the first time since the Winter Session began last Thursday, uproar forced repeated adjournments in the Lok Sabha.
Rajnath Singh strongly denied ever saying that India had the "first Hindu ruler after 800 years" after Narendra Modi came to power at the head of a BJP government last year.
Mr Salim, initiating the debate on "intolerance" in the Lok Sabha, had said: "How did fringe elements get the courage? I want to question the home minister. When Modi came to power, he said "800 saal baad koi hindu phir se is desh ka shaasak bana hai (After 800 years, this country has a Hindu ruler once again.) Is this democracy? Is this secularism? Is it a part of the Constitution?"
The Home Minister cut in saying he had never made the comment, to which Mr Salim responded: "I can quote." He went on to read out the comment attributed to Mr Singh in a newsmagazine: "The current strife is uncharted territory. It has the imprimatur of the "first Hindu ruler after 800 years" (to quote Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Modi's election victory)..."
Mr Singh responded by demanding an apology. "Mohd Salim is a very old friend. But he has made a very serious allegation. Where have I said this and when? He should tell the entire house or he should apologise to the house."
He added that he had "never been this hurt" in his entire political career.
The ruling BJP said the discussion could not go on unless the CPM leader took back what he said. Mr Salim refused to do so, but he and other Left MPs challenged the Home Minister to confront the writer of the article.
Many on Twitter suggested that the comments were actually made by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal, who died a fortnight ago.
For the first time since the Winter Session began last Thursday, uproar forced repeated adjournments in the Lok Sabha.
Rajnath Singh strongly denied ever saying that India had the "first Hindu ruler after 800 years" after Narendra Modi came to power at the head of a BJP government last year.
Mr Salim, initiating the debate on "intolerance" in the Lok Sabha, had said: "How did fringe elements get the courage? I want to question the home minister. When Modi came to power, he said "800 saal baad koi hindu phir se is desh ka shaasak bana hai (After 800 years, this country has a Hindu ruler once again.) Is this democracy? Is this secularism? Is it a part of the Constitution?"
The Home Minister cut in saying he had never made the comment, to which Mr Salim responded: "I can quote." He went on to read out the comment attributed to Mr Singh in a newsmagazine: "The current strife is uncharted territory. It has the imprimatur of the "first Hindu ruler after 800 years" (to quote Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Modi's election victory)..."
Mr Singh responded by demanding an apology. "Mohd Salim is a very old friend. But he has made a very serious allegation. Where have I said this and when? He should tell the entire house or he should apologise to the house."
The ruling BJP said the discussion could not go on unless the CPM leader took back what he said. Mr Salim refused to do so, but he and other Left MPs challenged the Home Minister to confront the writer of the article.
Many on Twitter suggested that the comments were actually made by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal, who died a fortnight ago.
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