Hours before the Congress's march to Rashtrapati Bhavan in protest against "rising incidents of intolerance", Union finance and information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley said the country has neither been intolerant nor will ever be.
"Where is intolerance? This country has never been and will never be intolerant," the finance and information and broadcasting minister said answering questions at a press conference held on the 46th International Film Festival of India, to be held in Goa between November 20 and 30.
Jaitley said a few 'aberrations' do not affect peace in the country and that it is 'not fair' to deliberately 'create an issue' for political reasons and then link it to the central government, even though such incidents are taking place in states ruled by other political parties.
He said the national situation was "absolutely peaceful" and "India is fully committed as a liberal democracy to peaceful co-existence. "Taking a dig at his opponents, Jaitleyasked them to fight political battles politically.
"If anyone (Shah Rukh Khan) is saying that intolerance should not be there then what's wrong in it?"he asked, responding to a query about the actor's recent comments. Khan had said that religious intolerance and not being secular was the worst kind of crime that one can commit as a patriot.
Asked about the clarion call for protest that could have led several academicians, authors, historians and film makers returning their awards, the BJP leader reiterated that there was no logic in their action since the awards have been conferred by a selected jury. Jaitley had recently termed them as rabid anti-BJP elements.
"I do not see any reason why anyone should try and disturb any event in India. It's not a good practice," he said, asked about the ongoing protests of FTII students who may take it to the IFFI and if the atmosphere 'intolerance' could impact the festival.
"There are many who have never intellectually accepted the idea of the BJP being in power. This obviously includes the Congress, many left thinkers and activists. Over decades they have practiced ideological intolerance towards BJP. They wish to project India as an intolerant society but the truth is otherwise," Jaitley had said in a recent Facebook post.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday to requesting him to act the atmosphere of intolerance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had said the Congress president had no moral right to lecture the NDA on tolerance and should be ashamed of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that killed thousands.
