BJP asks PM to sack Shinde as Home Minister

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sack Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his contentious remarks in which he had said that the saffron party and the RSS together are promoting ‘Hindu terrorism’.

“The BJP will not tolerate the repeated insult of Hindus and saffron traditions of India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi should sack Sushuilkumar Shinde for malicious remark,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said while reiterating his party’s demand for an unconditional apology from the Congress party.

BJP also said the Home Minister’s comments will also help Pakistan which has always been in denial mode about flow of terrorism from its territory. Questioning the Home Minister’s intentions behind his comments of linking terror to Hindu organisations, the BJP leader said “saffron is the beacon of India’s spiritual and religious heritage and holds a lot of importance in the independence of this country as saffron is also depicted on India’s national flag.

“Why this is happening in your government, you being the senior-most leader of the party in power in the country? What is your reaction now? Does Congress approve of it?,” he said. Prasad said Shinde’s statement could also have a serious and adverse affect on the government’s relationship with the opposition in Parliament which had led to deadlock on many occasions in the past. Shinde is the leader of the House in Lok Sabha.

The BJP leader said Pakistan will use Shinde’s remarks against India, especially at a time when the nation is angry over the beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistani troops. “But the way politics is being played, the happiest today would be Pakistan which has been playing an anti-India campaign,” he said. “They (Pakistan) will say: look at saffron Hindu terror what your Home Minister is talking about.”