Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stunned the Congress with a sharp attack today, accusing the previous UPA government it led of "weakening India's fight against terrorism" by coining the term "Hindu terror."
"The then Home Minister had coined the new term 'Hindu terrorism' in order to change the direction of probe. It weakened our fight... Hafiz Saeed of Pakistan had congratulated the then Home Minister," Mr Singh said in Parliament.
"Terrorism is terrorism, it has no religion, no caste," added the Home Minister, who made a statement today in the Lok Sabha on Monday's Gurdaspur terror attack. He censured the opposition party for making Parliament seem like a divided house on the serious issue of terrorism.
Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is among India's most wanted men and roams free in Pakistan, often making provocative anti-India speeches.
Rajnath Singh has told Parliament there is overwhelming evidence that the
three terrorists who attacked Punjab on Monday killing seven people, came from Pakistan by crossing the Ravi river.
Unlike yesterday, when his statement in the Rajya Sabha was drowned out by a slogan-shouting Congress, his speech today had the opposition's rapt attention. The storm began when he finished, with opposition lawmakers trooping into the well or centre of the House.
That is when Mr Singh attacked the Congress. "Our government will never allow such a shameful situation again," the minister said.
The Congress was not allowed to respond to the minister; they later demanded that his comments be expunged.
On Thursday, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley had slammed the Congress leadership, saying it had "failed the test" by not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the Gurdaspur terror attack, a matter of national security.
The Congress and other opposition parties have vowed to disrupt Parliament till the ruling BJP removes three top leaders caught in scandals.