Manish Tewari blames Centre for polarising nation along religious lines

Congress Party leader Manish Tewari on Monday blamed the BJP-led NDA Government for polarising the country along religious lines and for extending patronage to elements espousing such causes. He called upon right thinking pluralistic political forces to fight this menace.

Commenting on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's controversial comments about India being a Hindu nation, Tewari told ANI, "Ever since this government has come into existence, there is a concerted attempt to polarise this country on religious lines. There was a statement out of the MoS (PMO) with regard to Article 370 being repealed; then there was a statement by the government that the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented; then the Vishwa Hindu Parishad warned the minorities that they are second-rate citizens in this country; then Shiv Sena MPs misbehaved with a boy from a minority community during the festival of Ramzan. After that, you have this statement of Mohan Bhagwat."

"So, it is a concerted attempt to try and polarise this country with the consent and patronage of the BJP Government. And therefore, all right-thinking pluralistic political forces must see the menace of communalism, the spectre of fundamentalism which is looming over the horizon, and take steps to combat it," he added.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had earlier said that India is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is its identity.

"Hindustan is a Hindu nation...Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself," he said.

Last week, Bhagwat had made a similar remark in Cuttack, Odisha, where he said, "The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture.