Cong downplays Khurshid's remarks on Naik

The Congress today sought to downplay as "individual opinion" the remarks made by party leader Salman Khurshid on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, and said the party maintains that the law will take its own course in the case.

Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said there should be no politics on the basis of religion and an accused in any case should be viewed as an individual and not as one belonging to a particular religion, caste or association.

"Our stand has been made clear earlier also that in this country maintaining peace and unity is very important and there should be no politics on the basis of religion," he told reporters.

"We have internal democracy and our party is not like the BJP where voices are shut. One can have an individual opinion," the Congress leader said.

In an apparent reference to Zakir Naik, Khurshid had yesterday said the country could not afford to have question marks on people in important positions in public, but if there was no culpability of an individual, one should not be continued to be "hounded".

Naik is facing various cases, including for hate speech and money laundering, in India and has been staying abroad to evade arrest.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had first registered a case against the 51-year-old Islamic preacher under anti-terror laws in 2016 for allegedly promoting enmity between different religious groups.

Asked about the Congress' stand on the issue, Gohil said, "The law should take its own course. The Congress, even if it is our colleague, we have never tried to save anyone, but the BJP does it".

He alleged that the BJP has different yardsticks for different people.

"If it is a case against Amit Shah or their leaders, you have a different yardstick and if it is against Lalu Prasad, you have a different yardstick," the Congress leader added.