New Delhi: Disagreeing with the reported statement of Uttar Pradesh BJP president Laxmikant Bajpayi on Muslims, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said rape and terror has no religion.
“Certainly, if at all he said this, I do not agree with him. Rape has no religion. Terror has no religion. They are crimes and they should be curbed,” he told the Headlines Today.
Bajpayi had created a controversy by accusing men belonging to a community for raping women belonging to another community as they belonged to a particular religion.
Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi also disagrees with such statements, Naidu, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said government disagrees with it.
“Naturally. I am saying government, Prime Minister is the head of the government. But you would not expect the Prime Minister to react on each and every issue,” he added.
Quizzed on reports of concentration of power in one man at the Centre, Naidu said the Prime Minister was functioning in a democratic manner.
“He is functioning in a most democratic manner... The amount of time he spends on cabinet really makes us to feel that we all are partners in this decision-making process,” he said.
Wondering what was wrong in a civil servant going to the Prime Minister, Naidu, who is a senior minister in NDA government, said ministers have the liberty to exchange ideas with the Prime Minister.
“We are comfortable in the present system. I do not find any problem at all... Every minister is at liberty to pick up the phone and talk to the Prime Minister, meet the Prime Minister and exchange ideas,” he said.
Asked about rumours that ministers in NDA government are being spied, Naidu dismissed it as “funny and falsehood”. Coming out in full support for former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam being appointed as the Governor of Kerala, he said there was no bar on appointing a former Chief Justice as a Governor and it was not unconstitutional as well.
Naidu said terror and talks cannot go together, while replying to a question on government's decision to cancel the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan.
