Congress takes jibe at PM Modi on 'ghar wapsi' issue
Congress' attack came hours after Obama made a strong pitch for religious tolerance
New Delhi: Taking a cue from US President Barack Obama's speech calling for religious freedom, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday took a jibe at Narendra Modi wondering whether the Prime Minister would advise his friends in the Sangh Parivar to stop justifying 'Ghar Wapsi'.
"Would Modi take his friend Barack's advice and ask his friends in VHP to shut up and request (RSS Chief) Mohan Bhagwat to stop justifying 'Ghar Vapsi'?" Singh wrote in a series of tweets targeted at the Prime Minister.
The Congress general secretary wrote, "Obama reminds us of Article 25 of Indian Constitution of the Right of every Citizen of India to progress practice and propagate his Religion."
Singh thanked Obama for "speaking up for the Indian Citizen's Rights to Profess Practice and Propagate his Religious Belief."
He also advised Modi not to mind if he was at the receiving end of some unsavoury remarks on social media by religious fundamentalists. "Mr. Modi are you listening?" he asked.
Striking a similar note on Twitter, Youth Congress said, "We hope #Modi takes lessons from @BarackObama speech & redirects his vision from coercion & conversion to something +ve!! #Obama".
Congress' attack came hours after Obama made a strong pitch for religious tolerance contending that every person has the right to practice one's faith without any persecution and that India will succeed so long it is not "splintered" on religious lines.
He was addressing a Town hall event at Siri Fort auditorium here on the third and final day of his visit to India.
"Every person has the right to practice his faith without any persecution, fear or discrimination. India will succeed so long it is not splintered on religious lines," Obama told the audience.