Gurmehar row: Nationalism bad word only in this country, says Arun Jaitley

VARANASI: Union Minster Arun Jaitley today said nationalism is considered a bad word only in India even as he accused the opposition parties of "orchestrating" the the Ramjas College row ahead of the UP Assembly polls.

Jaitley, at a press conference here, said the debate was not started by the BJP government but the party will participate whenever there is a discussion on nationalism.

"Nationalism is a good word but it is considered bad only in India," he said.

On the Ramjas College row, he alleged, "The row was the deliberate creation of the opposition which fuelled a debate on nationalism ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections just like the 'award wapsi' controversy had broken out during the Bihar Assembly polls."

"As soon the Bihar Assembly elections were over then the award wapsi row died down. This (Ramjas College) row has been orchestrated by the opposition," he alleged.

Yesterday, while addressing the 'Varanasi Vyapari Sammelan' (traders meet), Jaitley had alleged that some people had raised anti-India slogans in a university and said those who want to weaken India have sided themselves with the opposition parties.

"When I was abroad I read on the Internet that a row has erupted in India. Some separatists and communists raised slogans against the country in the university," he had said.

"Could anyone have imagined that the Congress of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, is holding rallies in support of separatists and Maoists," he said.

"Could anyone imagine the party's senior leaders making such mistakes," he had said, adding that now the responsibility of keeping the country together has fallen on the shoulders of the BJP.

Those who wanted to keep the country united were supporting the BJP while those who wanted to weaken the country had joined the opposition parties, he alleged.