The Hindu : Not against Islam: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 15, 2002

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Not against Islam: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 14 . Two days after his speech, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said he was surprised and pained by the ``baseless and misinformed'' criticism of what he said in Panaji being projected as `anti-Islam and anti-Muslim'.

In a statement issued here, Mr. Vajpayee said a motivated propaganda, both within the country and abroad was sought to be launched on the basis of such misrepresentation.

He insisted that his remarks, when taken in totality, contained nothing that was either against Islam or against Muslims.

The Prime Minister emphasised that in his speech, he said some persons ``tend not to live in co-existence with others, not to mingle with others, and instead of propagating their ideas in a peaceful manner, resort to terror and threats.'' Mr. Vajpayee said his reference was clearly to the followers of militant Islam, and not to ordinary Muslims in general.

In the speech, he had said that there could not be any discrimination in India on the basis of the faith of a citizen and his view that education in madrasas should include, apart from teaching of Islam, lessons in sciences and other subjects was also reiterated by many persons, including all forward-looking Muslims.

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