NEW DELHI: A day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called for declaring Bhagwat Gita as national scripture, Opposition parties questioned her for choosing one holy book.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday attacked the minister saying how one book be considered “holier” than the others in a multi-faith country.
“I am also a Hindu, but in our religion there is not one holy book, there are many books. If you take Gita, what about the Vedas? What about Upanishads?... There are many opinions, we cannot say that one book is holier than the others,” Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament. “I am of the opinion that for the government to talk about such things is not correct,” Tharoor added.
However, the ruling party defended Sushma’s statement. “There is nothing wrong in what Sushma has said. What is wrong in having a debate on it?,” Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
BSP chief Mayawati also questioned Sushma’s statement. “People have diverse religious faiths. So making such statements will result in people from other religions raising their voice that their scriptures should also be made national books,” she told reporters.
CPI leader D Raja also voiced his disapproval and said he had given a notice to raise this issue in the Rajya Sabha. JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said Gita is much older than the Modi Government and the holy text of Hindus doesn’t need anybody’s support.
Who Switched off my Mike: Kharge
New Delhi: Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday complained that his mike was switched off during the Opposition’s un-noticed protests in the House on December 5. Kharge said when he raised the issue, his microphone was switched off. “This is not correct...How it happened? And why it happened?” Kharge asked. Kharge requested Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that all members should be treated equally and such things should not be repeated in future. Mahajan clarified that the microphone works only when the member is allowed to speak by the Speaker.