‘Yesterday’s fringe is mainstream today’: Congress’s renewed attack on BJP

The external affairs ministry had distanced the government from the controversial comment by the now-sacked BJP spokespersons, saying: “there are the views of fringe elements”.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday kept up his party’s attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the controversial remarks of its now-sacked spokesersons, saying the country should not be pushed into a situation where it has to be ashamed for the actions of the ruling party.

Former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was suspended by the party after a row erupted over her remarks about Prophet Muhammad. (PTI)

Khera’s renewed attack comes against the backdrop of efforts by New Delhi to deal with the diplomatic outrage from a clutch of Muslim-majority countries in West Asia, South Asia, and South-East Asia that have lodged protests over the statements by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal or issued statements denouncing the comments.

Khera questioned the silence of government leaders on Sharma and Jindal’s incendiary comments and asked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in its leaders, warning that party leaders described as fringe after the row erupted could come back to bite them.

The opposition, aware citizens, intellectuals and some remaining independent media have, time and again, tried to remind the Prime Minister in the last eight years that this country cannot be run with a small heart and mind, Khera added.

Khera said the ruling BJP used the media to brow beat the intellectual class and the opposition and called them names.

The BJP has responded to the anger over the statement of the two leaders, denouncing the “insult of any religious personalities of any religion”. The external affairs ministry distanced the government from the controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed, saying they did not reflect the government’s views and “there are the views of fringe elements”.

Taking a jibe at the government calling its spokespersons “fringe elements”, Khera said, “You have also been through the same journey to reach where you are right now. You cannot call your people fringe.” He added these ‘fringe’ members of BJP -- Sharma and Jindal -- will be placed in the mainstream by the same party. “Yesterday’s fringe is today’s mainstream and today’s fringe will become tomorrow’s mainstream.”