By IANS,
New Delhi : Accusing the Congress of practising “pseudo-secularism” and doing little for the minorities, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Tuesday called for a debate on “what is genuine secularism”.
The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate was reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks on the “secular-communal divide”. “I do not see this country has any future except by staying with secular values,” Manmohan Singh said.
Advani said there had been an ideological debate with the Congress since the days of BJP’s predecessor, Jan Sangh.
“I remember Pandit Nehru making a speech on the topic in Assam, where we did not have a presence,” he told reporters.
“Even then we had said, there is no fight between secularism and communalism. We have no problem with constitutional provisions. Nobody is saying we want a theocratic state.
“Our issue is what is genuine secularism… and pseudo-secularism. What we have said is that the Congress practises pseudo-secularism,” said Advani, adding that the Congress looks on the Muslims only as a vote bank and has not done anything substantial for them.