Hindu terror remarks: Shinde to defuse row with statement in Parliament

New Delhi: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is likely to defuse the row over his controversial Hindu terror remarks by making a statement in Parliament that he had no intention to hurt anybody. Shinde, who is also Leader of the Lok Sabha, has already stated that he and the Congress believe terrorism has no colour. [caption id=“attachment_624691” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sushil Kumar Shinde may make a statement in Parliament to defuse row over his Hindu terror remarks. PTI[/caption] Congress spokesperson P C Chacko today side-stepped questions on whether Shinde will tender an apology in Parliament to facilitate smooth functioning of the House. “Shinde has already clarified it and there is no question of an apology… He had said what he meant. And it is a fact that all of us know. We know who are the people involved. So, might be he used a word that was objectionable and he has clarified that,” Chacko told reporters. In a bid to resolve the impending deadlock, Shinde had reached out to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley. The Home Minister had reportedly even sent a draft of the statement he intends to make in the House on the issue but it has not satisfied the BJP. The Opposition party is under pressure from Sangh founthead RSS to pursue the matter strongly both inside and outside Parliament and force Shinde to apologise. The party had earlier even demanded that if Shinde does not apologise then he should be sacked. Party managers want that the issue should blow over and not create disruptions at a time when BJP and RSS have strongly objected to the issue. The main Opposition has said it will boycott Shinde in Parliament. Shinde’s comments had led even the Congress to distance itself from his remarks. “Terrorism should not be linked with any religion. Congress does not see any connect between terrorism and any religion. The party had earlier also made it clear that terror has no religion or colour. Congress never uses word like saffron terror or Hindu terror,” Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi had said. PTI