Strongly denying the Opposition charge of an increase in communal incidents in the country, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday maintained that a “deliberate attempt” was being made to portray such a picture and expressed readiness to table a detailed statement to show how many attacks on churches and religious places had taken place under which regime.
Singh’s statement came in lok Sabha in the Zero Hour when KC Venugopal (Congress) expressed concern over the rising attacks on churches and other religious places in the country. He alleged targeting minority community has become order of the day. Responding to the charge, Singh said there was a deliberate attempt to repeatedly raise in Parliament the incidents of alleged communal violence anywhere in the country.
“If I get permission, I am ready to table a full-fledged statement on the floor of the House to show how many attacks had taken place on churches and other religious places under whose regime,” Singh said. Home Minister said it was the Government’s thinking to see that a sense of confidence develops in the minorities and to provide security to them so that everyone can practice his faith without fear.
Rajnath’s remarks on “deliberate attempt” to repeatedly raise the issue in Parliament angered a section of the Opposition with Congress, IUMl and left parties staging a walkout. Earlier, Venugopal regretted that this was happening despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances to provide protection to the minorities. Venugopal also referred to some controversial remarks by a general secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha. Some remarks by the Congress member were disallowed by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy objected to them saying such remarks would “divide the nation”.