Congress praised Naik whose 'words caused' Lanka blasts: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday alleged the Congress praised controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, "whose words have triggered blasts in Sri Lanka killing 300 people", and its leaders were baying for his blood in their dream.

Addressing an election rally here in Madhya Pradesh, he said the Rahul Gandhi-led party has nothing but hatred for him, but he has support of the entire country.

"Zakir Naik's words have caused blasts in Sri Lanka, leaving 300 people dead. His TV channel was banned two or three days ago," Modi said.

"Who is Zakir Naik? He is the one whom (Congress veteran) Digvijaya Singh use to glorify unabashedly. You will be shocked to learn that Zakir Naik addressed Indian police officers, that too on terrorism, under the (previous) Congress dispensation," he said.

"Shame on Congress...and its vote-bank politics. They are glorifying Zakir Naik and calling him an apostle of peace," he added.

Singh is the Congress's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, where he is pitted against BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case.

Naik, a Mumbai-based televangelist accused of inciting youth for terror activities and giving inflammatory speeches, is said to be currently residing in Malaysia.

Apparently referring to a reported statement of Congress leader and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Modi said, "I heard that a Congress motormouth leader came here and said hit Modi for such a six that he lands out of the boundary dead.

"This was the statement of a Congress leader. Think. They have so much hatred for your Modi. So much hatred that they have started dreaming of killing Modi.

"But they are forgetting that from Modi's side, not just the people of Madhya Pradesh but of entire India are batting."
"If you all are thinking that Congress deliveries were without line and length, you are mistaken. The Congress is doing this under a pre-planned strategy."