India Always Secular, Minorities Safe: Rajnath Hits Out at Opposition
By : Krishna Mishra
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 2 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday took a jibe at opposition parties in Bihar while addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's ( BJP) state executive meeting and said that India has always been secular.
The Defence Minister questioned the opposition regarding the definition of secular amid the ongoing controversy over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dattatreya Hosabale's suggestion to reconsider the inclusion of words "secular and socialist" in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
"India is a country whose very culture embodies the spirit of Sarva Dharma Sambhav (equal respect for all faiths). Indian culture has, by its nature, always been secular. This is the land where everyone has always had the freedom to express and propagate their beliefs," he said.
Singh further emphasised that over the years, India has remained secular, and it remains the safest place for all the minorities. He said, "It is India that wholeheartedly accepted the Parsi community, who first arrived in Gujarat's Surat, and who today have been living in many cities across the country for centuries. In Kerala stands not only India's but one of the world's oldest churches, which remains intact to this day."
"If I talk about Islam, then let me say that India is the only country in the world where all 72 sects of Islam live safely and peacefully. This is living, breathing proof of our country's tolerance and secularism. If there's any place in the world where minorities are the safest, it is in our country--India," he added.