Congress slams V K Singh for scathing remark on Kanhaiya

Party takes exception to Minister's questioning JNUSU president's nationalism

The Congress Party on Sunday slammed Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh for his remark on Kanhaiya Kumar and his supporters, saying it is not a fight of individuals rather of ideas.

"The remark of V K Singh shows his immaturity. He is correct that both Rohith and Kanhaiya lie on same page. Rohith was the member of Ambedkar association and Kanhaiya is a part of AISF which has a major representation of OBC and backward classes," Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.

"This is not a fight between individuals rather it is fight between ideas. He must ponder over his words," he added.

Speaking at the national meet of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Vrindavan earlier, Singh spoke about JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and Vemula, seeking to question their nationalism.

Referring to Kumar, Singh said, "The student leader of JNU says his leader and source of inspiration is Rohith Vemula, and not Afzal Guru. That's when I thought that even Rohith organised a conference in support of Memon. Do we want to follow those people, who want to divide the country, who want to spread terrorism, who curse (India)?"

HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who also spoke at Saturday's event, said that BJP chief Amit Shah had already declared in the morning that "if anyone talks about dividing the country, the BJYM would give a befitting reply".