Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s alleged remarks comparing RSS with terrorist organisation ISIS last week sparked a slanging match in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. While the BJP demanded an apology from Azad, who is leader of Opposition, he denied making such statement and said he was submitting a CD of his speech to the Government.
Defending his speech made at an event organised by Jamait Ulama-i-Hind, Azad said he had observed that there was no fight between Hindus and Muslims in India but a tussle on ideology. Reading out verbatim his speech delivered in the function, the Congress leader then said he told the gathering that “we oppose ISIS and such organisations as we oppose RSS.”
Azad contended he never drew a parallel between RSS and ISIS and said he was ready to face privilege motion if proven wrong. The leader of Opposition also said he had mentioned that “if someone in Islam does wrong, they are no less than RSS,” he said. “Where is the comparison,” he asked. “If I had said ISIS and RSS are same” there would have been a comparison.
The Congress said he had stated that Hindu, Muslim and Sikh fundamentalists have to be fought as they are against the country. “We have to fight them all together.” Azad asserted these points when Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded an apology after some SP and BSP members took objection to RSS urging the affluent to refrain from seeking benefits of reservation.
Amidst agitated BJP members demanding an apology from him, leader of the House Arun Jaitley said he personally respected Azad and knew the Congress leader always speaks with restraint. “However, this time you knowingly or unknowingly slipped while delivering a speech,” the BJP leader said. He also said by mentioning ISIS, which is known all
over the world for its philosophy, Azad had granted respectability to the terrorist organisation.
As BJP members launched a vociferous protest earlier when Azad rose to speak, the Congress leader shot back and said they were displaying the same intolerance inside the House shown outside when faced with criticism.
Reading his speech at the event, Azad said he had spoken of Hindus, judges and journalists who were fighting for secularism. All forms of fundamentalism must be resisted, he said. After the Congress leader’s clarification, the House took up other business.
In the lok Sabha, the issue also came up briefly during the Zero Hour, with Ashwini Kumar Chopra of the BJP attacking Azad for attempting to “tarnish” the image of the RSS. He wanted a discussion on the issue in the House.