Shinde's remarks on Hindu terror based on facts: Congress

Says a desperate govt, home minister keen to have the house functioning had yesterday expressed regret

With the opening day of the Budget session passing off smoothly, the Congress managed to stoke another controversy stating that Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s remarks linking the BJP and the RSS with “Hindu terror” was “factually correct and true”.

As the principal Opposition BJP had threatened to boycott Shinde who is also the leader of the  House, a desperate government and Home Minister keen to have the house functioning, had yesterday issued a statement and “expressed regret.”

Today, however the Congress seemed eager to salvage its loss of face, goaded by the RSS which has “rejected Shinde’s regret.”  

Congress spokesperson PC Chacko addressing the media stated, “The Home Minister cannot make any statement without referring to facts. What he ( Shinde) said is true. But it may have hurt the sentiments of the BJP. They (BJP) had said they would not cooperate with the Home Minister and that we did not want.”

While the BJP had accepted Shinde’s statement of “regret” and gone on record to say it was a “closed chapter,” the RSS has not. Ram Madhav, RSS spokesperson had tweeted, “Sushil Kumar Shinde’s comments in Jaipur were derogatory and defamatory. He merely regretted. He should have apologized.”

The Congress spokesperson PC Chacko made amply clear that  Shinde’s statement was “not factually incorrect” although the manner in which he had said it at the party’s Chintan Shivir might have hurt the sentiments of the BJP. “And that was not the intention,” added Chacko.

The Congress however stressed that “it was not taking a U turn” but was “working a spirit of discussion and dialogue with the Opposition.” A spirit of cooperation prevails,” post Shinde’s conciliatory attitude indicated another senior Congress leader.

The party it appeared had agreed to kowtow before the BJP, only to ensure smooth functioning of the house. Senior leaders reiterated that the Home Secretary himself had briefed the media with substantial facts and figures to bolster the Home Minister’s remark that the RSS and the BJP were running terror camps.

Shinde’s statement had emanated after a “fruitful meeting” between Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Shinde wherein Swaraj was shown the statement.  

Incidentally, in his late evening statement Shinde had stated “There is no basis for suggesting that terrorism could be linked with the organizations mentioned in my brief speech at Jaipur.” Today however, the party went all out to state that the Home Minister had spoken on the basis of facts and evidence.