In an apparent balancing act, the Congress today appeared to have distanced itself from the "saffron terrorism" remarks of home minister P Chidambaram saying terror has no colour.
In an apparent balancing act, the Congress today appeared to have distanced itself from the "saffron terrorism" remarks of home minister P Chidambaram saying terror has no colour.
With the BJP and the Shiv Sena seeking to rake up a controversy over the minister's remarks in a conference of DGPs on Wednesday, Congress general secretary and media department chief told reporters and the controversy has erupted because of a word.
"As far as saffron or bhagwa or kesariya (other words for saffron) it was not not an issue then. The issue was terrorism. Terrorism does not not have colour. Terrorism has only one colour and it is black.
"Whatever colour terrorism may be associated with. whatever you call it saffron, saffron, green, white or red can you associate it with one colour," he asked.
Dwivedi said, "Terrorism is terrorism and in whatever form it comes it should be opposed. saffron colour has been part our ancient tradition and is associated with our freedom struggle. No particular section of the society has sole right on it."
Probably worried that Hindutva outfits could exploit the the words "saffron terror", he said no no section could appropriate saffron colour.
Telling reporters that the question they had raised about the use of word was correct, Dwivedi said "care should be taken about the use of words. And no one can take objection to a colour."
He was responding to questions on the controversy surrounding Chidambaram's remarks on Wednesday that "there is the recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated" in many bomb blasts.
Parliament proceedings in both Houses were disrupted yesterday as well as today over the home minister's remarks with the BJP and the Shiv Sena objecting to the minister's statement.
He said the controversy has occurred because of the use of one word.
Dwivedi said, "Each colour has its won tradition. Saffron too has its own tradition (linked with) struggle for freedom and mythological literature, shastras, religious literature. They all have a place for saffron.
"No colour is a representation of anyone particular social group or community, and for that matter, politics of a country."
At the AICC briefing yesterday, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had said, "I don't think it is important to get bogged down in nomenclature."
He had maintained the substance of what the home minister said was that the activities of the organizations affiliated to right wing ideology and having been found involved in terror acts need to be kept under watch.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}