Former Vice President Hamid Ansari
Highlights
- BJP said people who used to exploit minority votes are anxious about positive environment in country
- VHP wondered why people fall straight down as soon as they step down from constitutional posts
- Hamid Ansari demitted office on August 10, 2017 after two terms as Vice President (2007-2017)
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has slammed former Vice President Hamid Ansari for his comments wherein he criticised India's democracy. Responding to Ansari's statement, Naqvi said that the 'madness for Prime Minister Narendra Modi bashing is turning into a conspiracy for India bashing'.
"If one gets into India bashing while bashing Modi, you can expect such voices.... People who used to exploit minority votes are now anxious about the prevailing positive environment in the country," he said.
Ansari, who demitted office on August 10, 2017 after two terms as Vice President (2007-2017) and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, on Wednesday criticised India's democracy while participating in the virtual panel discussion that was organised by the Indian American Muslim Council.
Expressing concern regarding the rise of Hindu nationalism in the country, he said, "In recent years, we have experienced the emergence of trends and practices that dispute the well-established principle of civic nationalism and interpose a new and imaginary practice of cultural nationalism. It wants to distinguish citizens on the basis of their faith, give vent to intolerance, insinuate otherness, and promote disquiet and insecurity."
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) too criticised Ansari for his comments. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, "Why do people like Hamid Ansari fall straight down as soon as they step down from constitutional posts? Why does the Jihadi Islam within them dominate as soon as they come in touch with organisations like PFI and IAMC?"
