CPI slams Madhav's remarks against VP

CPI today slammed BJP general secretary Ram Madhav for his "condemnable" remarks questioning Vice President Hamid Ansari's absence during Yoga Day event in the national capital and accused him of targeting "entire" community the latter represents.
Speaking to PTI, CPI national secretary D Raja also accused the Sangh Parivar of linking yoga to religion and added there are outfits representing minorities too which have done the same thing in reaction.
"It (Madhav's remarks) is highly condemnable. He is not just Hamid Ansari (an individual); he is Vice President of Indian Democratic Republic. Madhav should have that respect for the Vice President.

"It is they (Sangh Parivar) who have given religious linkage to yoga and communalised it. In reaction to this, some Muslims outfits also raised some issue. Targeting the Vice President means targeting the entire Muslim community. Madhav is doing that. It is exactly what we are condemning," he said.
Referring to Madhav's statement, Raja said Sangh Parivar has become "so aggressive" communally that they do not spare a person like Hamid Ansari, country's Vice President.
Madhav had yesterday stoked controversy by questioning Ansari's absence at International Yoga Day event in the national capital but later apologised after he was criticised on social media.

A prominent RSS leader Madhav had also accused Rajya Sabha TV, the public service broadcaster run by Parliament's Upper House, in a tweet of blacking out the Yoga Day event "completely" despite being run on tax-payers' money.

As Rajya Sabha Chairman, Ansari is the controlling authority for the channel.
Madhav had later apologised in another tweet.
"I am informed dat d VP was unwell. I withdrew my tweet. My apologies because d institution of VP deserves respect (sic)," he said in another tweet.
As the topic trended, he had subsequently deleted both the tweets.