BJP's intolerance to criticism like fascists': Tewari

The BJP's "intolerance to criticism" shows their "fascist" bent of mind, said union minister Manish Tewari here Thursday, hitting out at the party after a BJP MP demanded Nobel laureate Amartya Sen should be stripped of his Bharat Ratna for criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"It is a reflection of their undemocratic mindset... It shows their intolerance - their attitude of 'either you are with us or against us'," said Tewari here.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra in a tweet said the next Nationalist Democratic Alliance (NDA) government should strip Sen of the Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award.

Tewari said "the BJP's demand that Amartya Sen is not entitled to the Bharat Ratna is a kind of precursor of the kind of people you are dealing with.. Amartya Sen is an academician...How can you be so upset with his criticism that you want the Bharat Ratna returned?"

"This is how fascists behave," said the minister.

Sen had said he did not want to see Modi as the prime minister and had also criticised Modi's model of governance.

The BJP has clarified that Mitra's remarks are his "personal opinion".

"It is Mr Mitra's personal opinion," BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters.

Tewari also said that despite the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's attempts to "polarize" the country on communal lines, it would not succeed.

"There will not be polarization as the majority has never been communal, and will not be communal. This has been demonstrated. The success of pluralistic vision has consolidated itself in the last 60 years," he added.

Tewari also wondered at the "desperation" of the BJP to get the US to revoke its ban on giving Modi a visa.

"They behave as if the visa is a certificate? Why the desperation?"