BJP hits back: Intolerance campaign to derail development

amit shah, BJP, Narendra Modi, Dadri lynching, intolerance in india, Indian express

Amit Shah and Venkaiah Naidu release a booklet, Know the Truth, in New Delhi on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

BJP on Thursday termed the intensifying campaign against “rising intolerance” as an attempt to “derail the development” momentum created by the Narendra Modi government. Hitting back at the Congress and the Left, the party — which released a booklet to counter the campaign — said that “maintaining peace in the country” was its “vested interest” as peace was necessary for development.

“The entire campaign is a clear effort to derail the development momentum created by the energetic efforts of the Prime Minister. We have vested interest in keeping atmosphere of tolerance in our country because without peace no development can take place. Why should we ourselves destroy our mission for development?” asked Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who addressed the media with party chief Amit Shah. Questioning the motives of those behind the protest, Naidu said: “Why were the so-called intellectuals silent then, and violent now?”

READ | Venkaiah Naidu writes: PM Modi admired globally, political opponents affecting image of India

Shah released a compilation of articles titled “Know the truth: Some are misled, some are misleading” that defended the government and questioned the protesting intellectuals.

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While Shah said he would speak on the matter on November 8 — the day of the Bihar election results — Naidu alleged that the ongoing protests were a joint campaign by Congress and Left-leaning intellectuals.

The BJP, he said, had no problem with some of them returning their awards, but it had an issue with their efforts to project that there was growing intolerance and the Centre was to be blamed for that.

“It is being seen by many as a well-organised effort to defame our cultural ethos,” he added.

Reacting to Naidu’s allegations, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “The RSS point of view has always been there in the academic and intellectual discourse of India. The current intolerance in the country is highlighted by the growth of violence and intimidation between opposing points of view unleashed by the RSS and the various tentacles of the communal octopus.”

He said the RSS “has not retracted or apologised for MS Golwalkar’s observation that we should learn from the methods used by Hitlerite fascism and that India should ‘learn and profit’ from this.”

First published on: 06-11-2015 at 12:40:53 am