New Delhi: Congress today hit back at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for accusing it of practicing "ideological intolerance" towards the Prime Minister, saying while he may be out to please his "boss", his remarks were "ridiculous" as common man to the President have expressed concern over the "rising atmosphere of intolerance".
"Jaitley he is out to please the boss (Modi)...it does not behove him to talk like this at a time when common man to the President and Moody's to industrialists, the intellectual class, those who read books and write books, are expressing concerns over the rising atmosphere of intolerance," Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said.
"Even the US President Obama has talked about this (intolerance)," he said, adding whatever Jaitley has said is "ridiculous".
He was reacting after Jaitley, in a Facebook post, today accused Congress and Left of practising "ideological intolerance" towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to project India as an intolerant society through structured and organised propaganda.
Jaitley said that since 2002, "the Prime Minister himself has been the worst victim of these ideological intolerance.
"Their strategy is twofold. Firstly, obstruct Parliament and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organised propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society."
