Prez nominee Meira Kumar attacks govt on 'lack of tolerance'

Opposition Presidential candidate Meira Kumar today made a veiled attack on the central government, saying there was a feeling that "we are being ruled by people who lack tolerance".
She made the remark at a press conference here during her visit to Rajasthan as part of her campaign for the July 17 election.
"It is being felt that we are being ruled by people who lack tolerance," she said in an apparent reference to the Modi government.
"We respect the religion which we believe in, but it is important to equally respect other religions.
"The ideology of the people on the other side is totally different and 17 opposition parties are united on their ideology, which a large section of this country believes in," she told reporters.

Kumar was here to seek support of Congress and opposition legislators for the presidential election.

"When such historic decisions are to be taken, the voice of conscience has to be heard by shifting focus from all other things. This election is in the name of ideology and principles," she said.
Asked if she was hoping to get the required numbers to ensure her victory, Kumar recalled that V V Giri, the third President of India, had faced a similar situation.
"I think the numbers have no basis in front of the voice of conscience,"she added.
The former Lok Sabha speaker said she had written to all MPs and MLAs regardless of their party affiliation for their support in the presidential poll, where she is pitted against the NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

"We need to think above caste and religion," she said.