BHOPAL: Close on the heels of former union minister Shashi Tharoor’s statements about India turning into Hindu Pakistan if the BJP won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, another senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh warned against growing religious extremism and radicalization in India.
“I don’t know what Shashi Tharoor has exactly said, so I won’t be able to comment on his statements,” said Singh who is spearheading the Congress’ Ekta Yatra in the state for rejuvenating the cadres of the opposition party to oust the ruling BJP and return to power in the state after 15 years.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Singh, when asked by journalists in Alirajpur district (400 km from Bhopal) further about Tharoor’s statements on Thursday evening, narrated what went wrong during the reign of military dictator-turned-President Zia-ul-Haq in Pakistan.
“Promotion of religious extremist and radical outfits like Jamat-e-Islami and Taliban by then President Zia-ul-Haq led to spurt in terrorism in Pakistan. More terror incidents and bomb blasts are taking place in Pakistan in comparison to India. And it’s not foreigners, who are committing acts of terror there, but Muslims living in the same country who are indulging in terror and also getting killed in terror incidents there. Similar condition prevails in adjoining Afghanistan,” said Singh.
“Religious fanatics and radicals turn into terrorists later. If similar phenomenon of promoting religious extremism and fanaticism goes in India also, similar spurt in terror will be experienced here too,” said Singh in a veiled attack on the BJP government at the Centre.