BJP battles fresh controversy over Union minister Mahesh Sharma's comment on Abdul Kalam

NEW DELHI: Even before the noise surrounding the meat ban controversy died down, BJP found itself in the middle of another one — this time, trying to defend the remarks of Union minister Mahesh Sharma who said that former President APJ Abdul Kalam was a nationalist despite being a Muslim.

Swinging into damage control mode, BJP leaders said Sharma's words had been interpreted wrongly, and that the saffron party has full faith in the patriotism of the minority community.

Senior BJP ministers whom ET spoke to were critical of Sharma's comments – with most saying they were avoidable -- but were not willing to go on record. Sharma was also ticked off by senior ministers for shooting off his mouth in his haste to give bytes to news channels on every other issue, said people familiar with the matter.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, however, said the minister's words are being wrongly interpreted by the media.

"BJP does not doubt the patriotism of Indian Muslims. Just as a Hindu is a rashtrabhakt, a Muslim too is a rashtrabhakt. Mahesh Sharma was not insulting Kalam when made the nationalist remark," Hussain told ET.

He emphasised that PM had made the party's views on Muslims clear when he said that ISIS cannot spread its tentacles in India as Muslims here love their country and are extremely patriotic.

"Mahesh also meant that all Muslims are nationalists and patriots," Hussain clarified. But not many were willing to buy this line, with other BJP leaders saying that Sharma should be more careful while making these comments.