Social activist Swamy Agnivesh today shot off a letter to Narendra Modi urging him to give "an emphatic and no-nonsense statement" disowning people like Pravin Togadia and Giriraj Singh who made controversial remarks in the midst of election campaign.
Agnives criticised Modi's "deafening silence" on Yoga Guru Ramdev's "purient and degrading honeymoon remarks aginst Rahul Gandhi.
"While rest of the world has condemned Ramdev but your party sought to defend him. An emphatic and no-nonsense statement from you may clear the air of these misgivings. Anything short of this might be seen as hypocrisy," Agnivesh said.
He said Modi's speeches and interviews in the recent past and during election campaigns were quite reassuring at their face value.
"However, to be considered credible they need something concrete in the form of public and social action.
"I would urge you to disown and publicly condemn bigots like Togadia, who are a threat to 'Sanatan Dharma' and its values of truth, love, compassion, and justice," Agnivesh said in the open letter sent to Modi.
He congratulated Modi for his prompt distancing of himself "from the unsavory and outright stupid remarks of Togadia, Giriraj Singh and Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam".
