Nitin Gadkari demands withdrawal of Time magazine's latest issue

NEW DELHI: Former BJP President Nitin Gadkari today demanded withdrawal of the latest issue of 'Time' magazine in which an article says that though Buddhism preaches pacifism, some monks practising the religion in Asian countries have been inciting violence against Muslims.

Referring to the article "The Face of Buddhist Terror" in Time magazine, Gadkari said he "strongly recommends" that the issue is withdrawn forthwith.

Quoting from the piece, Gadkari said "it's (Buddhism) a faith famous for its pacifism and tolerance. But in several of Asia's Buddhist-majority nations, monks are inciting bigotry and violence -- mostly against Muslims."

The BJP leader said the title of the article runs several risks of misinterpretation and he condemns it in strongest possible words.

"Lest the article in question in itself becomes a tool to incite further violence or protests between the followers of two major religions of the world, I strongly recommend that the said issue is withdrawn forthwith," he added.

Gadkari maintains religion and practice of one's faith is a personal journey and an extremely sensitive subject.

"Unfortunately, there are misguided elements in every order and religion who may incite acts of violence against fellow human beings. Such acts go against the very tenets of the faith as well as of humanity," he said.

He cautions any act by an individual or group of persons should not be construed to represent the core philosophy of any religion or order.

"One cannot ignore the danger of this article being misconstrued and used as a weapon to tarnish a particular faith. This may also lead to hurting the sensibilities of peace loving Buddhists brethren," Gadkari said.