This refers to the editorial, “Sending the right signal” (September 22). Stereotype apprehensions apart, how can a sane person find fault with Mr Narendra Modi's observation in an interview to CNN in response to the call by Al Qaeda to wage war against India, that the Muslims of India live for their country and will die for it. Indian Muslims have patriotism in their blood, and that is why the Prime Minister's statement has been widely welcomed throughout the country, barring some expected quarters.
However, there is no denying that certain leaders of the BJP have been issuing unpalatable comments against the minority community premised on deceptive pleas like ‘love jihad’. This can cause corrosion of public faith, especially among the Muslims, in the Union Government. Hence, the Prime Minister must rein in elements that are responsible for such obnoxious statements. These remarks fly in the face of Mr Modi’s regime’s call for equal development of all communities.