Shinde sees terror in BJP, RSS camps, Sangh says apologise

Several Congress leaders too defended Shinde. Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said, "It is not Hindu terrorism but Sangh-backed terrorism."

"I am 100 per cent with Shinde on this. This isn't a secret. I want to thank the Home Minister for saying what everyone knows but does not have the courage to say," party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said. "He (Shinde) meant right-wing terrorism. There is no Hindu or Muslim terrorism," added Union Minister Rajiv Shukla.

RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav called Shinde's remarks "highly irresponsible" and made only to please his party bosses. "If a Congress leader had said something like this, it wouldn't have mattered that much. But if the Home Minister of the country is saying something like this, it is highly irresponsible. This is all about playing votebank politics."

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar described Shinde's remarks as the "most irresponsible" ever made by any home minister of the country. "P Chidambaram used the term saffron terrorism and Shinde has gone a step further," he said.

He said the statement reflected the "communal and vote bank politics" of the Congress. "One cannot equate terrorism with one religion," he said.

In his speech, Shinde also listed infiltration from Pakistan, insurgency in the Northeast and Naxalism as the main challenges before the country. "Infiltration is from Pakistan, insurgency is in some states in the Northeast and Naxalism is another challenge. Environment is being created against peace but my department will do its complete work," he said.

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