Must use secularism against divisive forces in society: Naqvi

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that the strength of secularism and nationalism is a strong weapon to defeat terrorism and radicalism.

Speaking at a meeting with a youth delegation of ‘India Against Terrorism’ he said, “Harmony is an indispensable part of secularism in India. We have to protect this democratic heritage and use secularism as a weapon for society’s progress, brotherhood and unity. We should use strength of secularism against those forces who want to create division and confrontation in the society.”

During the meeting with the youth representing ‘India Against Terrorism’, Naqvi said that it is wrong to link terrorism with any religion and that terrorist elements will succeed in their nefarious designs if one links terrorism with any religion.

Naqvi said that ‘political exploitation of secularism’ and ‘politically motivated propaganda of communalism’ should be stopped and the nation has to walk on the path of the country’s cultural heritage and constitutional values.

He asserted that secularism should be used as a weapon to strengthen unity and harmony in the society, but some ‘political champions of secularism’ have been misusing secularism for ‘political exploitation’ which has affected the soul of secularism.

He said that the youth have an important role to play in fight against terrorism and radicalism and added that they should not only be alert against evil designs of terrorist groups but they will also have to launch an “awareness war” against these terror elements.

Naqvi highlighted that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre has adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism.

“We can defeat their coward acts through strength of our country’s unity and rich cultural heritage”, he added. (ANI)