ajtr
BANNED
- Joined
- May 25, 2010
- Messages
- 9,357
- Reaction score
- 0
Digvijay Singh blames Savarkar for 2-nation idea
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Digvijay Singh has kicked up yet another controversy by claiming that the real father of the two-nation theory leading to the country's partition was Veer Savarkar and not Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Speaking at a programme here on Wednesday, Singh sought to elaborate the point that ideologies of exclusion and extremism were unable to hold a nation together.
Asked about his speech later, he told reporters at the Congress headquarters that in his view political intolerance caused irreparable rift within society.
"Savarkar had the original idea of the two-nation theory which was later adopted by Jinnah," he said. "Extremist ideologies create division, it's not healthy for society."
Singh had recently created a stir with his remarks about a `hostile campaign' by the Hindutva forces on Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare prior to his death in the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.
The senior party leader sought to differentiate between extreme political theories based on religion and religious piety. "Any good Hindu or Muslim -- those who believe in their religion in the true sense -- cannot subscribe to extreme viewpoints," he said.
Singh argued that presumably Savarkar had been an atheist while there were questions about Jinnah's adherence to the ways of a pious Muslim. He sought to suggest that had the two been true followers of their respective faiths neither would have tread such an extreme path.
Giving the issue an immediate context, he said that the BJP had invariably preferred a contentious spot either to hoist the tricolour or build a temple. His hint was clearly at the opposition party's attempt at unfurling the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
Singh's remarks immediately sparked a controversy with the BJP wondering whether he had the mandate from his party to propound such views. BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad wanted to know if Singh was speaking on the subject on behalf of his party.
Congress spokesman Shakil Ahmed, however, backed Singh by stressing that the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was a senior party leader putting across his views with responsibility.
Read more: Digvijay Singh blames Savarkar for 2-nation idea - The Times of India Digvijay Singh blames Savarkar for 2-nation idea - The Times of India