Search the Internet          Tips

Speech had nothing against Islam or Muslims: Vajpayee

"The speech is being projected as anti-Islam and anti-Muslim," he said in a statement in Delhi.

"I had said Islam has two forms. One that which tolerates others, which teaches its adherents to follow the path of truth, which preaches compassion and sensitivity."

"But these days, militancy in the name of Islam has left no room for tolerance. It has raised the slogan of jihad and is dreaming of recasting the entire world in its mould," he said.

While focusing attention on these divergent streams, "I have not said anything new or different from what numerous perceptive observers, including many devout and concerned Muslims around the world, have already said," he pointed out.

"When I said that some people tend not to live in co-existence with others, do not mingle with others, and instead of propagating their ideas in a peaceful manner, resort to threats, my reference was clearly to followers of militant Islam, and not to ordinary Muslims in general," Vajpayee said.

The prime minister clarified that he had emphatically said in his speech that India was a multi-religious but secular nation, which gives all its citizens the right to follow their faiths freely.

"My view that madrasa education should include, apart from the teachings of Islam, lessons in science and other subjects is also the belief by many others, including all forward-looking Muslims," he said.

"It is indeed strange that I am praised as a 'secular leader' when I condemn, as I recently did, intolerance and other negative features exhibited by certain self-styled champions of Hindutva, but criticised as a 'communal leader' when I point out the negative aspects of militant Islam," the prime minister said.

"Such double standards do no good to a healthy debate on what is true secularism and what is in the interest of our nation and the world," Vajpayee added.

More reports on BJP meet in Goa

Tell us what you think of this report