Hours before the Congress party's march to the President's House to highlight the alleged rise in incidence of intolerance, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that India has always been a tolerant nation and there is an atmosphere of complete peace in the country.
Reacting to the allegations, Jaitley asserted: "Where is intolerance? This country will never be intolerant."
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi will lead the party's parliamentarians and top leaders in a march this afternoon to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. On Monday, Mrs Gandhi reportedly raised incidents related to intolerance in a one-on-one meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee.
Reacting to the Congress protests, Mr Jaitley said: "There is peace and harmony in the country. There have been incidents which should not have happened, but it is not right to make them an issue like this. Congress should tell us where there is intolerance. These incidents are taking place in states ruled by the Congress and other parties."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday responded to Congress criticism by invoking the 1984 riots after the assassination of India Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. "Doob maro (drown in shame)... Try to remember that day in 1984 when Sikhs were being massacred in Delhi and all over India two-three days after Indira Gandhi was killed. There were serious charges against the Congress party and Congress leaders... And today on November 2, Congress party is lecturing on tolerance," he said.
The debate swirling around "rising intolerance" began after incidents like the murder of rationalists and mob killings over beef-eating or cow slaughter rumours. Several writers and artists protested against the incidents and what they called the Prime Minister's "silence", by returning their awards. Protests that came to be known as "Award Wapsi" have drawn support from several filmmakers, scientists and historians.
On Monday, film star Shah Rukh Khan told NDTV: "Religious intolerance or intolerance of any kind is the worst thing and will take us to the dark ages."
Mr Jaitley, responding to the comment, said: "If any person is saying that there should be no intolerance, then what is wrong with it?"
