NEW DELHI: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that the recent statement of Rahul Gandhi about the Sikh community during his US visit showed a "Jinnah like" mindset - "Either I get what I want or I will destroy it."
"Rahul Gandhi wants to foment a divisive narrative and the nation to bleed," said Puri in an interaction with a news agency during his ongoing visit to the United States. The minister said, "I have worn a turban for 62 years of my life... I think the more disturbing trend is to say that this statement was made out of ignorance. Saying he has no idea what he is talking about... I think that is wrong. I think there is a more systematic sinister attempt to foment a divisive narrative to create a sense of insecurity."
Gandhi, interacting with diaspora members in the US, spoke about the fight with BJP being an ideological divide over questions like "Is a Sikh allowed to wear a turban (or) kada (a steel bangle)?"
"This is a narrative anchored in total lies and therefore I am not surprised that he is going around doing it. But what he said reminded of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, what he did, that either I want what I want, or else I will destroy it," said Puri who is in Washington DC for discussions with US secretary of energy Jennifer Granholm.
"There can be some differences. But the whole beauty of democracy is to sit and address this issue... They should see the contribution of RSS for the nation," he added.
The minister said if there has been any time in the history post-independence existence it was during 1984 when the Sikh community faced an existential threat. "I've experienced it myself, it was during the 1984, I don't want to use the word riots because it was a one sided pogrom against, you know, innocent people, 3,000 of whom were killed in cold blood in India," Puri said.
"Rahul Gandhi wants to foment a divisive narrative and the nation to bleed," said Puri in an interaction with a news agency during his ongoing visit to the United States. The minister said, "I have worn a turban for 62 years of my life... I think the more disturbing trend is to say that this statement was made out of ignorance. Saying he has no idea what he is talking about... I think that is wrong. I think there is a more systematic sinister attempt to foment a divisive narrative to create a sense of insecurity."
Gandhi, interacting with diaspora members in the US, spoke about the fight with BJP being an ideological divide over questions like "Is a Sikh allowed to wear a turban (or) kada (a steel bangle)?"
"This is a narrative anchored in total lies and therefore I am not surprised that he is going around doing it. But what he said reminded of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, what he did, that either I want what I want, or else I will destroy it," said Puri who is in Washington DC for discussions with US secretary of energy Jennifer Granholm.
"There can be some differences. But the whole beauty of democracy is to sit and address this issue... They should see the contribution of RSS for the nation," he added.
The minister said if there has been any time in the history post-independence existence it was during 1984 when the Sikh community faced an existential threat. "I've experienced it myself, it was during the 1984, I don't want to use the word riots because it was a one sided pogrom against, you know, innocent people, 3,000 of whom were killed in cold blood in India," Puri said.
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