Vice-President Hamid Ansari's affirmative action for Muslims comment draws VHP's ire

NEW DELHI: Vishwa Hindu Parishad today sharply criticised Vice President Hamid Ansari over his pitch for "affirmative action" for Muslims, dubbing it as "communal" statement and demanded that he should either apologise or resign.

The Hindutva organisation also said such a demand seeks to "push Muslims in dark alleys of dissatisfaction whose consequences will be dangerous".

"With due respect to the Vice President's chair, VHP condemns this rank communal statement. This is a statement made by a Muslim political leader which does not befit the office of a Vice President.... He should either apologise or resign," VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain told PTI.

He also took a jibe at Ansari, saying the Vice-President should resign and join active politics.

Asserting that Indian Muslims enjoy more constitutional rights than they do in many Islamic countries, Jain also claimed that they have been appeased by various means over the years.

Making a strong pitch to develop strategies to address problems of identity and security confronting Muslims in the country, Ansari had sought an "affirmative action" from the government which espouses the policy of 'growth for all'.

He said that exclusion and discrimination including failure to provide security has to be corrected by the state at the earliest and appropriate instruments developed for it.