Shinde raises a storm with ‘Saffron terror’ remark

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its parent organisation the RSS have demanded sacking of union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde after comments that the party and the RSS promoted ''Hindu terrorism'' drew kudos from terror outfits across the border.

Pakistan-based JuD, the umbrella organisation of banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, has ''congratulated'' Shinde on the remark made at the Congress party's Jaipur conclave on Sunday.

Shinde also got support from Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid as also home secretary RK Singh who said the government has proof of involvement of Hindu outfits like the RSS in terrorist activities like the bombing of the Samjhauta Express.

BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday told reporters in Delhi, "Their (Congress') destructive mindset is reflected in the statement of the home minister. The statement he has given at the `chintan shivir' is very objectionable. It's not only unacceptable but also dangerous."

Another BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party would launch a nationwide protest on Thursday against the remark, which they perceived was an ''insult of India's spiritual and cultural heritage.''

Prasad referred to earlier controversial statements of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh when he referred most wanted person JuD chief as ''Hafiz Saeed Sahib'' and slain al-Qaeda chief as ''Osamaji''.