Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday sought to rake up an rake up issue accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not greeting Muslims on the occasion of Eid while noting that he had offered prayers in Nepal's famed centuries-old Pashupatinath Temple on Monday.
Raising the issue during zero hour, Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay recalled the Prime Minister's visit to the Pashupatinath Temple on Monday and his donation of ghee and 2500 kg of sandalwood.
He said he appreciated the action of the Prime Minister, but equally he expected him to wish Eid Mubarak to the other community. He wanted to know why this "differentiation".
Noting that India believed in the principles of secularism, communal harmony and national integration, he said "some evil forces are trying to create communal tension".
Bandopadhyay cautioned the government to "remain alert, cautious and vigilant to prevent communal incidents as otherwise safety and security of the common man and the secular fabric will be under threat."
A number of members including NCP leader Tariq Anwar, Bhagwant Mann (AAP) and K Kavitha (TRS) associated himself with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, as also Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Disputing Bandopahdyay's submission, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said "I want to put on record that this government believes in 'sarva dharma sambhav'. And the Prime Minister has greeted 'Eid Mubarak' to members of the Muslim community", he said.
As Speaker Sumitra Mahajan moved over to the next issue, Congress members were in the Well demanding that Chowdhury be allowed to have his say and merely associating with the TMC leader would not do.
The House saw a brief adjournment as Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members stormed the Well demanding cancellation of the CSAT exam for civil services.
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