Left parties today hit out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over his comments on writers' returning awards, saying that India is passing through an "unprecedented crisis and not manufactured one".
"Everywhere you find communal, social conflicts and behind all these things, it is a fact that there are fundamentalists elements, particularly who have allegiance to the RSS and Sangh Parivar.
"It is known to everybody. Mr Jaitley should understand this, what is happening in the country. Writers are not doing it for the sake of fun or publicity. It is not a manufactured crisis. It is a crisis. India is passing through an unprecedented crisis," CPI national secretary D Raja said.
Jaitley had yesterday termed the returning of Sahitya Akademi awards by steady stream of writers over rising intolerance in the country as a "manufactured paper rebellion" against the government in the wake of a "manufactured crisis".
Raja also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand and demanded action and assurance that communal incidents will not be allowed in the country.
"The Prime Minister must act. There are Ministers who are making statements violating the Constitutional positions. So what action he takes or he must assure the nation that such things will not be allowed," Raja said.
Targeting BJP over Jaitley's remark, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat said the ruling party has become so "arrogant" that it doesn't want to listen truth, which, she said, the writers are speaking.
"Instead of responding in a sensitive way to the issues which are being raised (by the writers), Jaitley just attacks those who are telling the truth. So, the message clearly is the BJP, with 31 per cent of the votes, has become so arrogant that it doesn't want to listen to the truth," Karat said.
