Government: No need for Ram Shankar Katheria to quit

The Narendra Modi government on Thursday rejected the Opposition’s demand for sacking Union minister Ram Shankar Katheria and slapping of sedition charge against him for an alleged hate speech in Agra.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh asserted in the Rajya Sabha that Mr Katheria made no “inflammatory speech”, even as a united Opposition charged the government and the BJP of “moving in different directions”.

The Opposition charged that the government and the ruling party were “playing a double game” with the former claiming “Sabka Saath Sabha Vikas” while the latter spreading communal disharmony along with the Sangh Parivar.

A Congress member even described the Prime Minister as the “weakest PM” for not acting against party leaders making inflammatory speeches. The Upper House was taking up the calling attention on “inflammatory speeches by a minister in the Union government and elected representatives violating the Constitution”.

Maintaining that media reports on the Agra event appeared to be “distorted and incorrect”, Mr Singh, while responding to the Opposition’s charges over Mr Katheria’s alleged remarks, observed that the Agra police was seized of the matter and law and order was a state subject. He said the Uttar Pradesh government is expected to conduct the investigation of the case in a “fair and impartial manner” and take necessary action.

“The government is opposed to all statements/speeches which divide the country on the basis of religion, caste and creed. This government is fully committed to the Constitution and the law of the land,” Mr Singh said, adding the government had examined the video recording of the February 28 condolence meeting of slain VHP leader Arun Mahaur, where Mr Katheria had participated. “We gave the CD to our officers. They said there was no objectionable utterances.”

He had not said anything against or used derogatory language against any community... No objectionable contents against any particular community have been noticed in the speech. Accordingly, the news reports appear to be distorted and incorrect,” Mr Singh said.

Expressing dissatisfaction over Mr Singh’s statement, SP’s Javed Ali Khan said “the government and the party is moving in different directions. There would have been better coordination had the Home Minister been the Prime Minister of the country.”

Attacking the government for not respecting the secular provisions of the Constitution, BSP’s Mayawati said ever since the BJP-led government has come to power, BJP and RSS leaders and even ministers holding constitutional posts were making “irresponsible” statements giving communal colour.

Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad attacked Mr Katheria and other RSS-BJP leaders for making inflammatory speeches and sought registration of sedition cases against them.