Jaitley accuses Cong, Leftists of 'ideological intolerance'

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today accused Congress, Left thinkers and activists of practising "ideological intolerance" towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, he said, has been the "worst victim" of this type of intolerance since 2002.
Hitting out at those who have never "intellectually" accepted the idea of the BJP being in power, Jaitley accused them of trying to project India as an intolerant society through structured and organised propaganda.
Amid protests by the intelligentsia over the 'climate of intolerance' in the country, Jaitley appealed to "every well-wisher of India and the present Government" not to make statements that could vitiate the atmosphere and obstruct growth.

Describing the lynching of 50-year Ikhlaq Ahmed by a mob in Dadri over "beef" eating rumours on September 28 as a "stray incident", Jaitley said it was both unfortunate and condemnable. "The guilty will be taken to task."
"While the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is trying to accelerate India's growth, there are many who have never intellectually accepted the idea of the BJP being in power. This obviously includes the Congress, many Left thinkers and activists. Over decades they have practiced ideological intolerance towards BJP," the Minister said in a Facebook post.
He further said that since 2002, "the Prime Minister himself has been the worst victim of these ideological intolerance." The post-Godhra riots in Gujarat broke out in 2002 during when Modi was the Chief Minister.

"Their strategy is twofold. Firstly, obstruct Parliament and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organised propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society."

The truth is otherwise, Jaitley said, adding the perpetrators of this propaganda had never allowed alternative viewpoints to grow in either universities, academic institutions or cultural bodies which they controlled. "Their intolerance extends to not accepting an alternative ideological pole."
Notwithstanding such aberrations, the Minister stressed. "India remains a highly tolerant and liberal society. Our cultural values have imbibed co-existence. India has repeatedly rejected intolerance. It does not respond to provocations.

"It is, therefore, incumbent upon every well-wisher of India and the present Government to make sure that no action or statement of his provides a tool in the hands of those who want to obstruct India's growth story. The obstructers have a simple plan - if they can't fight politically, they fight with hostile propaganda," the Minister said.