Terming secularism an “import” from the West, Modi said that Congress has used it to pocket Muslim votes and they are now being treated as a “vote bank” by it and other parties.
He said the Constitution has given equal rights to all citizens and religious harmony and respect for all religions are in “India's DNA”.
Asked if he would do away with the Minority Commission, Minority Finance Development Corporation as feared by his critics, Modi said, “There is a need to strengthen constitutional and statutory bodies and not to abolish them.
“The need is to make them productive and strong so that they could do solid work instead of continuing with the existing system which takes symbolic measures.”
Modi said “extremism” over castes and religions have been used to divide the country and advocated “zero tolerance” for the guilty in religious and caste violence.
In such issues, he said, more than government actions it is the dialogue among different sections of society which is more important.
Arguing that secularism has been “exploited” for political purpose, Modi said the politics in present times is revolving around it.
