Naidu defends Rajnath, says India 'most secular' nation

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday defended Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in the Lok Sabha yesterday adding that India is the most secular country in the world and that there was nothing wrong with what the latter had said.

"As far as secularism is concerned nobody is questioning secularism. Secularism has been abused. That is what has been said in honourable Home Minister's statement, what is wrong in this? Unfortunately what is happening in this country is that people who prop up casteist, communal politics, they always try to take shelter under secularism whenever their existence is under threat," Naidu told ANI in an exclusive interview here.

"People who align with fundamentalist organisations, communal organisations, they try to criticise others saying that you are communal. The people who have aligned with communal parties are playing divisive politics. Let the debate go on but our commitment to the constitution is final. This country is secular in nature and secularism is very much in our genes. India is the most secular country in the world," he added.

Naidu also presented the view of an Arab journalist labelling India as the most tolerant nation.

"I was just reading an article by an Arab journalist. He says India is the most tolerant nation in the world. He said that inspite of hundred religions and over hundred languages people live in peace and harmony. They all join to build a strong nation. He says that I feel jealous because I come from that part of the world which has only one religion and one language, yet there is killings everywhere. This only shows that some people in our country are trying to score political brownie points on the issue of secularism," Naidu said.

Rajnath Singh on Thursday had said Dr. Ambedkar, the principle architect of the Constitution didn't find it necessary to insert 'Socialist' and 'Secular' words in the Preamble as he felt it's already in our basic nature adding that secular is the most misused word in Indian politics.

"Dr Ambedkar didn't find it necessary to insert 'Socialist' and 'Secular' words in the Preamble because he felt it's already in our basic nature.