A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Nitesh Rane on Friday dismissed the controversy that the complete nature of EVMs is “all votes against the mullahs,” MP Shashi Tharoor slammed Rane’s statement as “very shocking”.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said, “This kind of thing is very shocking. In our country, we must really understand the basic lesson of the freedom struggle, that when a group of people say that religion is the basis of their nationality. They went and built Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi went forward, our leader said that we should fight for the freedom of everyone. We will build a country for everyone, we will write a constitution for everyone, and everyone will live here with equal rights.”
“The opposition parties are blaming EVMs (for losing the assembly elections). But we won in EVMs. Our EVM means every vote against the mullahs … Our responsibility is to protect those who brought the saffron government to power in Maharashtra. The state has a Hindutva government… We will not allow a festive event in Vishalgad on January 12,” Rane said in Sangli.
“I must say that people who criticize any one community, whether it is against Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or any kind of caste, that is wrong. We are all equal citizens of India, and that is the only basis on which our country can progress,” he added.
“We will protect all those who salute the Tricolour… and sing the national anthem. This is a Hindu country and therefore our first interest is the Hindus. Words like ‘Bhaichara’ should be used in Pakistan. If we have to think twice to perform pujas, then the question of whether we are living in a Hindu nation arises. The Congress rejected the word secularism. As Hindus, we should have a clear stand and vision. I have become an MP for Hindu votes,” Rane said on Friday.
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