Time to act, not to deliver speeches on intolerance: Yechury

New Delhi, October 20

The CPI (M) hit out at Jaitley for his speech, saying it was time for the Central government to act instead of delivering "sanctimonious" speeches.

Speaking to journalists, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over such incidents.

"It is very strange what our Finance Minister has said... (he is) saying they are disturbed by the fact that people are resorting to violence to make their points. These are not times for preaching and making sanctimonious speeches.

"They are the government. Inciting passions through public speaking is a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code. Why is no action being taken?" Yechury asked.

The CPI (M) leader also termed BJP president Amit Shah’s recent "reprimand" of party leaders who made controversial comments as sham

"What is this great mercy the Prime Minister is showing by asking the BJP president to call the people who make such speeches and warn them? The Prime Minister is very, very adept at tweeting. Then why there is not a single tweet if he is so concerned? I mean all this is a sham," he said.

Yechury also invoked statements made by President Pranab Mukherjee to the nation about Indian value of tolerance.

"It is very, very uncharacteristic and unusual that the honourable President of India within a fortnight has to repeat the traditions and historical legacy of tolerance in India.

The fact that he had to do so, speaks volume of the concern that he has about the deteriorating situation all across the country," he said.

Amidst rising instances of intolerance and vandalism, Mukherjee had expressed serious apprehension over whether tolerance and acceptance of dissent are on the wane in the country in a speech on Tuesday, less than a fortnight after a similar speech made after the Dadri lynching incident. Mukherjee had made a strong appeal for maintaining the core civilisational values of diversity, tolerance and plurality that have kept India united for centuries. PTI