SHINDE OFFENCE PUSHES CONGRESS ON DEFENCE AND SAEED ON OFFENCE

SHINDE OFFENCE PUSHES CONGRESS ON DEFENCE AND SAEED ON OFFENCE

The greatest tragedy of our political system is that even when politicians come to occupy responsible posts in government, they forget their public duty and responsibility and continue to behave like politicians trying to garner brawny points over their political opponents.

During the last assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh continued with his oft-repeated allegations that the opposition State governments failed to utilize properly or fully the funds so graciously and generously sanctioned by the UPA government. In Himachal he alleged that BJP government failed to utilize Rs. 10 thousand crores sanctioned by his government. But when Himachal chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal challenged him to give details of the funds not utilized, the Prime Minister preferred to ignore him.

The Union government always tries to make the people believe that when it sanctions any money it is like a donation and not the right of the State. The fact of the matter is that the ruling party government sanctions money out of public exchequer and not out of party funds. Therefore, where is the generosity or favour? Moreover, these are the funds which have been contributed by the people at large and the States have their constitutional rights to get a share of these funds. Yet, the ruling parties try to earn political mileage by making such claims and allegations.

On January 20, 2013 the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde alleged at Jaipur (Rajasthan) where he had gone to attend the Congress chintan shivir that the BJP and the RSS ran training camps to promote ‘Hindu Terrorism’ and cited reports supporting his claim.

He said, ”After investigations, we have found that BJP and RSS training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism.”  

As everybody knows – and so does the home minister – this alleged act of "BJP and RSS training camps promoting Hindu terrorism" is a crime and, therefore, these organizations as also the individuals indulging in these acts should be brought to book. Why is the home minister failing in his duty to do so?

By not acting against these alleged 'criminal' acts of these organizations, the home minister is himself failing to perform his legal duty and discharge his constitutional functions.

Think before you speak. That is the golden principle. But Mr. Shinde ignored that sane advice. That is why his words have now boomeranged on him and the government. The UPA government has all along been asking the Pakistan government to act against Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the Lakshar-e-Tayyebba chief, whom Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh addressed as "Saheb", the mastermind behind 26/11 Mumbai attacks and other terrorist crimes in India. Now Saeed has taken the thread out of Shinde's speech and said: "World should take note and declare India a state that is supporting terror on its soil after its home minister Shinde candidly confesses". Saeed went on to say that Indian organizations were "involved in all kinds of terrorism in Pakistan". He claimed: "India tried to involve us in the Mumbai attacks but after a passage of five years, nothing has been established against us in the courts". He went on further to demand  the Pakistan government to take steps to get India declared "a terrorist state" by the UN Security Council. ()

Pushed to the wall, the Congress had ultimately on January 22 evening to  distance itself from Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s controversial remark on Hindu terrorism, saying: “Terrorism should not be linked with any religion. Congress does not see any connect between terrorism and any religion. The party has earlier also made it clear that terror has no religion or colour. Congress never uses word like saffron terror or Hindu terror,” party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters in Delhi

Asked why the Home Minister used the word “Hindu terrorism”, Mr. Dwivedi explained “that must not have been the intention of the Home Minister. No Congress leader can say such thing with intention. Sometimes it happens that some words come out of the mouth of an individual unintentionally.” (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cong-distances-itself-from-shinde-remark/article4332793.ece)

But Dwivedi fails to explain whether a home minister can afford to be irresponsible from whose mouth some words come out "unintentionally".

Shinde also goes on record to be the only home minister for which the Congress had to turn apologetic a number of times.

It is time our governments keep the national interest supreme in their mind instead of trying to run down their opponents with unsubstantiated charges for political and electoral benefits.