NEW DELHI: A day after President Pranab Mukherjee questioned the shrinking space for dissent in the country, finance minister Arun Jaitley decried that vandalism was no way express themselves, and said such incidents were lowering country’s image abroad.
He added none from his party was involved in the act of vandalism, and some of the party leaders who made controversial statements have been put on notice.
With Jaitley's expressing his disapproval of recent incidents of vandalism involving the NDA ally Shiv Sena and some hindutva organisations, the government has sent a message it was distancing itself from such acts. The opposition parties were criticising the government for not disapproving these incidents.
"All right-thinking sections will have to distance themselves from these kind of methodologies...those using these methods, including copy cat vandalism, must also introspect whether they are adding to the quality of Indian democracy or are they really
reducing the credibility of India as a country before the eyes of the world itself,” Jaitley said.
The finance minister said it was "an extremely disturbing trend" where some people have been resorting to vandalism to mark their protest.
"But we had a tradition of civility in conveying those different opinions. Also particularly because some of these issues are extremely serious," the Finance Minister added.
Reacting to the Shiv Sena’s protest at the BCCI office against the resumption of cricketing ties, Jaitley made it clear that he would only urge the ally that it must realise that it is part of central and state government and it has a responsibility.
"Issues like relations with neighbouring countries will have to be conducted, on the basis of a very well-though out strategy. They can't be conducted in a manner on the streets itself.
That can't decide how we deal with out neighbouring countries. And therefore, I think it is extremely important that every political party, including my friends in the Shiv Sena realise the importance of this," he said.
Referring to the provocative statements made by some BJP leaders, Jaitley said, "You see, after the Prime Minister's comment, the President (Amit Shah) had called three gentlemen. He has very firmly told them that their statements are not appreciated by the party at all. They have been put on notice. Therefore I am sure that they corrected themselves".
He added that BJP spokesmen are acting with utmost restraint and by various statements including the present one I am making to you, we have outright shown our disagreement with these kind of statements".
"Now, we have been able to identify people from their tactics and, therefore, the party has already put these people to notice. If somebody has made an error in the past, I am sure he will correct himself," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit at the Congress saying the incidents of violence had taken place in the opposition ruled states.
"Almost all recent incidents have happened in states ruled by Congress or its allies. Dadri incident happened in Uttar Pradesh where Samajwadi Party, which was an ally of Congress, is in power. A murder (of a noted Kannada writer and rationalist) occurred in Congress-ruled Karnataka," Trivedi said.
He added far worse incidents had taken place during the Congress regime like 1984 anti-Sikh riots, exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, Hashimpura roits.