A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted him for sharing dias with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday hit back by accusing Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of meeting the 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur.
While defending himself Singh said sharing dias with someone does not mean allegiance with him and wondered what the BJP would say about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sharing the stage with Zakir.
“I am being criticised for sharing stage with Zakir Naik but what about Rajnath Singh ji meeting bomb blast accused Pragya ThakurIJ Pragya is an accused in bomb blast. Is there a case against Zakir Naik as yetIJ What about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji sharing stage with ZakirIJ” Singh said in Twitter.
Digvijay Singh is being targeted by the BJP after a 2012 video showed him praising Zakir. Zakir is currently under Government scrutiny following reports that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by his speeches.
In his defence, Singh said if there was any evidence against the preacher, then the Indian and Bangladeshi Governments should take action against him. “I have appealed for communal harmony and opposed religious fundamentalism and terrorism by either Hindus or Muslims,” Singh said.
BJP has termed Zakir a threat to national security saying his speeches incited people. “Terrorism is enemy of humanity. Anybody who directly or indirectly abets it is guilty. People like him (Zakir) are a threat to our national security. Government agencies should decide on action against him under the existing legal system. It is clear that he incited people,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said on Thursday.
“It is in Congress’ character to politicise and glorify terrorism. Its leaders used terms like Hafiz saab and Osama ji for terrorists. They questioned the sacrifice of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in Batla House encounter and claimed their president Sonia Gandhi cried whole night over the killings (of terrorists) in the encounter,” he said.