The atmosphere of hate prevailing in the country: Rahul Gandhi in Kerala
The Congress MP’s statements come against the backdrop of the apex court being pulled up by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her remarks on Prophet Mohammad.
Rahul Gandhi participated in a rally in Kerala’s Sultan Bathery to protest against the Supreme Court’s recent direction to a one-kilometer buffer zone around forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the recent atmosphere of hatred and anger in the country was not created by one person, but the ruling party at the Center and the ideology run by it were equally responsible for it.
Speaking to reporters in Wayanad, his Lok Sabha constituency in northern Kerala, Gandhi said there was no point in blaming one person.
He was referring to Nupur Sharma, a former spokesperson of the ruling BJP, who was reprimanded by the Supreme Court on Friday for setting her on fire following her remarks on the Prophet. He said that the government in power, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister played their part in creating such an environment in the country.
“The Supreme Court told this. It is not the only person who made this announcement, but the PM, Home Minister and RSS have created such an atmosphere in the country. The atmosphere of anger and hatred is not good for the country and its people. “Such an environment was created by the ruling party and they proceed to do so. It is against the interest of the country.”
During a televised discussion on 28 May, the then BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad and party leader Naveen Kumar Jindal and tweeted some objectionable comments on 1 June. On 5 June BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal over the outrageous statements.
The statement provoked a diplomatic outcry with about 15 countries expressing their outrage, comprising Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. The Government of India later issued a statement, stating that the statements of individuals defaming religious personalities “do not, in any way, reflect the views of the Government of India”.
Rajiv Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his constituency, also condemned the attack on his office last week allegedly by a group of Students Federation of India (SFI) activists. He said it was “an irresponsible act on the part of the children.
“Everywhere in the country, you see the idea that violence will solve problems. But violence never solves problems. They acted irresponsibly but I have no anger or animosity towards them.” he told.
He told that it was not his office but the office of the people of Wayanad and that what the left-wing students did was most painful. But he made it clear that he was not harboring anger or animosity towards them. He spent some time in the office which was allegedly ransacked by SFI activists on June 24. He hoped that the students would realize their faults and behave responsibly.
Later in the evening, he participated in a rally in Sultan Bathery to boycott the Supreme Court’s recent direction to a one-kilometer buffer zone around forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries. A series of bands are going on in many areas of Wayanad and Idukki districts against this order. People fear that they will be thrown out of their residences once the buffer zone is created.
The attack on his office last week by the SFI was inspired by the issue of buffer zones. Student activists declared that the MPs failed to respond to the issue. After the attack, Gandhi tweeted two letters to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister on the issue, drawing their attention to the plight of the residents living near the forests. The state government has declared openly that it will file a review petition in the apex court against the decision of the three-member bench.
