'Intolerance' ended for intellectuals with Bihar polls:Indresh

Image
Press Trust of India Jalandhar
Last Updated : Nov 16 2015 | 10:28 PM IST
Claiming that the move by the authors and artists to return awards were "politically- motivated" and timed for Bihar elections, a senior RSS leader today termed such people as "intellectual terrorists".
"A section of intellectuals was running a movement of returning awards over intolerance in the country which ended with the Bihar polls," alleged Indresh Kumar, member of RSS's national executive, during a symposium here.
Incidentally, the JD(U)-led Grand Alliance in Bihar trounced the BJP-led NDA in the high-stakes Assembly polls, where the Modi-Shah-fronted alliance received a drubbing getting just over 50 seats while the Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad- led alliance clinched 178 seats.
Hitting out at the scholars, Indresh said that their protest has "disappeared" with the outcome of Bihar elections.
Terming the artistes who returned their awards over "intolerance" as "intellectual terrorists", Kumar, in a sarcastic tone said, the "atmosphere of intolerance" ended for the intellectual with the conclusion of Bihar polls, and tolerance restored in the country, as they were "toeing the lines" of their political masters.
Kumar also questioned the intellectuals as to why they did not return their awards after the 'Nirbhaya' gangrape incident or during the Jammu and Kashmir strife or during the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits.
Condemning the recent incidents of sacrilege of Sikh holy book in Punjab, Kumar said the culprits must be nabbed.
He also appealed to those "spreading violence" to join the mainstream, saying violence is not the solution to any problem.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 16 2015 | 10:28 PM IST

Next Story