On the 30th of the previous month, the Lok Sabha was disrupted after CPI(M) MP Mohd. Salim made an atrocious statement accusing Home Minister Rajnath Singh of saying “Narendra Modi is the first Hindu Ruler in 800 years.” As it turned out, it was the Late Ashok Singhal of Vishwa Hindu Parishad who had made that comment and not Mr. Rajnath Singh. Not so surprisingly, Mohd. Salim was quoting the Ultra-Secular Outlook Magazine as his source.
Since then, the Outlook has come out with an apology in an official statement. The Magazine said: “In this story, a remark (“first Hindu ruler after 800 years”) made by the late Ashok Singhal of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad was erroneously attributed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Outlook deeply regrets the lack of diligence in verifying the source of the statement. It was not our intention to denigrate the home minister or Parliament. Outlook sincerely regrets the embarrassment caused to Mr. Rajnath Singh and Mr. Mohammad Salim.”
One might ask Outlook then why was it apologizing to Mohammad Salim for their lack of journalistic skill when they had quite unwittingly (or otherwise) handed him a glorious opportunity to attack the Government on. And an overly optimistic person might implore the Outlook to pay for the Taxpayer’s Money wasted in the Parliamentary Disruption owing to its Slanderous Journalism.
Quite amusingly, Mohammad Salim made that accusation during a debate on ‘Rising Intolerance’ in the Parliament. When Rajnath Singh proclaimed that he was deeply hurt by the accusation and suggested that Parliament should not function until Mr. Salim apologized for his remarks, the latter came up with an incredulous justification to say the least. “Saying that till I don’t take back my words house will not be allowed to function, is also a form of intolerance,” blurted the Left MP once again displaying how Intolerance has come to mean everything but just that.
All of it comes to mean that if the Opposition comes to disrupt the Parliament on any bogus reason conceivable only to them, it’s perfectly justified. And should the Government suggest that the Parliament not function till a blasphemous accusation be rectified, then it’s ‘Intolerance.’ Convenient, is it not?
Also I find it highly treacherous and downright hypocrisy from the Left to lecture the BJP on Intolerance. That the Left which was responsible for some of the most vicious crimes in the history of Independent India has suddenly found its voices in 2015 to comment on Rising Intolerance is absolutely ridiculous.
Moreover, the Left should be reminded that they are responsible for creating a Political Atmosphere in West Bengal where even College Elections cannot occur without some sort of Violence or the other. The Trinamool since it came to power is just carrying forward CPI(M)’s treacherous legacy. Seeing them take a sanctimonious tone in a debate on Intolerance tickles my funny bones alright!
All that said, it’s a mark of the incompetence of the BJP that it could not work the heinous error by Outlook and the shameful remarks by Mohammad Salim to its advantage. The least it could have done is initiate a Privilege Motion against Outlook Magazine for being responsible for the Parliamentary Disruption.
What bothers me is that Outlook hasn’t been made to pay for its shocking incompetence. As Mohammad Salim rightly points out, if he hadn’t raised the issue, History would have recognized Rajnath Singh as the author of the quote. Unless the BJP takes strong action against the Media Houses which are so visibly anti-BJP, it’s pointless to expect the Media to give up on their insidious agenda anytime soon.