Gadkari Blames Congress Secularism for Hindu–Muslim Strains as BJP Backs Him, Congress Pushes Back
The speech recast secularism as sarva dharma sambhav, assigning post‑1947 policies responsibility for current tensions.
Overview
- Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Congress-era definitions of secularism and vote‑bank politics created Hindu–Muslim problems that persist today.
- Gadkari asserted that India is and will remain secular due to Bharatiya and Sanatan cultural traditions, echoing Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s line.
- Bihar minister Dilip Jaiswal endorsed Gadkari’s remarks, alleging Congress poisoned the Ganga‑Jamuni culture and pursued appeasement since Independence.
- BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla defended the claims by invoking partition and Muslim reservation debates, while Congress MP Imran Masood cited the shared freedom struggle to rebut the charge.
- Reports differ on the event where Gadkari spoke, with one outlet citing a launch for Uday Mahurkar’s book and another pointing to Vasudev Devnani’s book event attended by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan.