Accusing the Congress of pursuing a "divisive agenda", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday asked its chief ministers to trash Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's directive -- that no innocent Muslim youth should be wrongfully detained in the name of terror.
"Are you the home minister for the country or for one community? It is an irresponsible, idiotic approach of the government of India," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, attacking Shinde for defending his directive.
Naidu said the directive was against secularism and the Constitution.
"Shinde has shamelessly defended the move. I am asking BJP chief ministers to throw it into the dustbin," he said.
Naidu also flayed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara's reported remark -- that it should not matter if Muslim beneficiaries did not repay loans --and state Law Minister T B Jayachandra's statement on the setting up of fast track courts to try cases involving minorities.
"The Congress is running away from discussing development and following a divisive agenda," Naidu said.
On the Telangana turmoil, he accused the Congress of treating the matter as if it was an internal party affair and dealing with a "sensitive issue" in an "irresponsible and immature manner."
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's statements “made without authority”, were "adding fuel to the fire," Naidu said, adding the Congress should keep its house in order by convincing its chief minister and ministers first.
Asked about Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu cozying up to the National Democratic Alliance, he said, "No proposal (has come) from any side. We are busy expanding."
Naidu announced that the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would address a rally in Bangalore on November 16, to be followed by eight other rallies across Karnataka.
.jpg)
