Modi hits out at Shinde for 'Hindu terrorism' remark

PATNA: Terming Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's remarks as "irresponsible" and "baseless" that BJP and RSS promoted Hindu terrorism, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today said it has only strengthened the hands of Pakistan and terrorist groups operating from across the border.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed has lapped up Shinde's "false" charge against the Sangh Parivar and harped on it to justify terror activities against India, the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said.

Regretting that the remarks were made at the Congress conclave in the presence of top party leaders, he dared Shinde to prove his charges, failing which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should sack him immediately for making the "baseless and irresponsible" claims against the Sangh Parivar.

An effigy of the UPA government would also be burnt in Bihar on January 24 to protest against Shinde's remarks, he said.

Meanwhile to a media query, Modi, who holds the finance portfolio, said Bihar government will present a gender budget for 2013-14 during the upcoming budget session to highlight the development and welfare issues of women.

On the expected plan size for 2013-14, he said it would be more than Rs 28,000 crore approved by the Planning Commission in the last fiscal.

Almost 60 per cent of the Rs 78,000 crore sanctioned in the current budget has been spent by December last year and the remainder would be utilised over the next three months, he said.