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No need to snap RSS-BJP links, says Ananth Kumar: PTI

Kumar, participating in a discussion with Communist Party of India-Marxists leader Sitaram Yechury in Doordarshan's Talkback programme, said that Christians and Muslims were "as patriotic as Hindus" but added that "whoever resides in India should owe allegiance to the country and be patriotic".

To a question by programme anchor Karan Thapar on RSS supremo K S Sudershan's statement suggesting formation of a 'swadeshi church' and Indian Christians breaking their ties with the Vatican, the BJP leader from Karnataka said, "Under the Vajpayee government, the Constitution is very clear that each one has the right to profess his religion."

"Sudershan has his own views and we respect them. But our (government's) view is to adhere to the Constitution and promote its viewpoint," the minister said.

"We don't need to snap our umbilical chord with the RSS and we are proud of it," he added.

Reacting to it, Yechury said, "That is where we doubt your credentials of upholding the Constitution and protecting minorities."

"You have not broken the umbilical chord (between the BJP and the RSS) and you will never do it," the CPI-M leader said.

Kumar snapped back, "We are proud to be 'swayamsevaks'... it is an emotional and moral bondage."

On Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's reported statement that Christians, Muslims and Parsis were "foreigners", Kumar said he did not think Patel had made such a statement.

Listing out the achievements of the Vajpayee government's rule, the minister claimed the National Democratic Alliance has an excellent record on all fronts - from "negotiating sanctions and floating resurgent bonds to Kargil, the nuclear arms programme and the Cauvery (river water dispute) settlement".

Yechury said even the Planning Commission and the Central Statistical Organisation had published figures to show that the population below poverty line has been increasing, while GDP growth had been scaled by a full percentage point.

He questioned the government's decision to hike petroleum prices "six times in two and half years" and said, "When international prices are low, you tax the people, when these are high you tax the people."

Kumar countered, saying that the government did not impose a 'war tax' either during the Kargil war or during the Orissa Super Cyclone. But Yechury said the government had imposed a one rupee levy last year when international prices had gone down to earn Rs 6000 crore.

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