Congress needs to make its stand clear on P Chidambaram’s remarks: BJP

NEW DELHI: Former Home Minister P Chidambaram’s remarks disapproving ban on Salman Rushdie’s book ‘Satanic Verses’ has evoked mixed reactions, with the ruling BJP saying that the statement appeared to be his personal opinion. “The Congress needs to make its stand clear on this issue whether it is their official position as well,” said BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli.

“Freedom of expression is a constitutional guarantee within a reasonable restriction so that one's expression of speech does not become a matter of concern for sentiments of another person. But, Congress would do well to reflect, when it is politicizing every issue, it should not take position that it comes to regret 20 years later.” Prafulla Ketkar, editor of Organiser, an English weekly affiliated with the RSS, questioned the intentions of Chidambaram’s remarks on this issue when BJP is in power and Congress is out of power.

“I think he should have done something about it when he was the Home Minister of this country if he has this conviction. He knows that this is a sensitive matter for a community. Why is he raising this now when BJP government is in power? I have doubts about his intentions in raising this issue now,” Prafulla Ketkar told ET. Ketkar said this could be a trap to rake up another needless controversy. Meanwhile, Rushdie used this opportunity to pose a question regarding whether the country was ready to amend the ‘mistake’. “This admission just took 27 years. How many more before the “mistake” is corrected?” he tweeted.