Agnivesh criticizes PM for “silence” on intolerance

Kolkata: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the issue of intolerance, activist Swami Agnivesh today alleged that RSS and several other Hindutva organistions want to declare India a “Hindu Rashtra”.

“The silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a deliberate, instigating and orchestrated silence on the issue of intolerance,” Agnivesh said here.

Alleging that there has been “mind boggling” violence in the name of religion in the country, Agnivesh said scientists, literary figures, artistes have returned their awards in protest against intolerance.

“The RSS and the Hindutva elements such as Ram Sena, Hindu Sena want to break this country on religious lines and they are itching to declare India as a Hindu state.

“The Hindutva lobby which has been active for quite sometime. It has found itself in the seat of power now with Narendra Modi as PM. The RSS just can’t wait to declare India as Hindu Rashtra. This is height of intolerance,” Agnivesh said.

Lashing out at RSS, he said the “real” meaning of PM’s slogan ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ has become clear in its (RSS) resolution adopted at its executive meeting recently in Ranchi.

“The resolution clearly states that the word Sabka means those religions which have orginated in India like Hinduis, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism,” he said.

“Our Prime Minister who claims to be the PM of 125 crore Indians, is in complete silence even as various BJP leaders and Hindutva activists have been making communal statements,” Agnivesh said.

He said he would hold a march against religious intolerance from the house in Dadri, where a person was lynched on the suspicion of storing beef, to Rajghat in Delhi on November 27.

PTI