Before acting against Naik, govt should take action against its own leaders: Ashok Chavan

Comparing controversial televangelist Dr Zakir Naik with Yogi Adityanath, Sakshi Maharaj and Sadhvis of ruling establishment, Congress state unit president Ashok Chavan on Saturday said that the government should first take action against all these people for inflammatory species and statements.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Pune, Chavan said that government should examine whatever Naik has said. "Congress is a secular party and what Congress leader Digvijay Singh has said was during a conference and there's nothing more than this. The stand of present government of stamping anyone speaking against it as anti-national is wrong," said Chavan.

He added: "RSS and a few other leaders from the ruling establishment have given a call of making India Muslim-free. Before taking any action against Naik, the government should take action against all these leaders since their inflammatory speeches are damaging the best social fabric of our country. The government needs to make its stand clear on these leaders."

Meanwhile, criticising chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for his Twitter war with minister Pankaja Munde, Chavan said that it is evident that chief minister does not have any control whatsoever. "Fadnavis has already expressed his helplessness before by saying that bureaucracy does not listen to him," said the former Maharashtra chief minister.