Clarify if anti-India slogans should be tolerated: Shah to Rahul

Raising the pitch on the JNU issue, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Wednesday said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders should clarify in Parliament if ‘anti-national’ slogans should be tolerated in the name of freedom of speech.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, who had joined the agitating JNU students, Shah alleged that he was supporting the forces dividing the country for ‘votebank politics.’ “Today debate is being held in the Parliament whether raising anti-national slogans should be tolerated in the name of freedom of speech or not,” Shah said at a public meeting at the unveiling of the statue of 11th century king of Shravasti, Raja Suheldeo.

“I specially want to ask Congress and its workers whether those raising slogans like ‘Afzal Guru tere hatrayre zinda hain’ and ‘Bharat ke tukde honge’ were traitors or not,” Shah said. 

“I want that members of all parties sitting in the biggest panchayat of the country which is Parliament should clarify whether raising anti-national slogans was freedom of speech or sedition. This also has to be decided by the people of the country,” he said.

Targeting Rahul, Shah said, “I want to ask him to clarify before the people whether he supports the anti-national slogans...if not then he should condemn it.” “Rahulji don’t stoop so low for votebank politics. The country got freedom due to the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs. You are supporting the forces dividing the country in the name of freedom of speech,” he said  

Rahul has come out in support of JNU Students’ Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar arrested on sedition charge, and has accused the RSS and BJP of imposing their ideology.

Describing the contribution of Raja Suheldeo, Shah said his name is taken with pride not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country.