Congress does balancing act on "saffron" terror remark

In an apparent balancing act, the Congress today appeared to have distanced itself from the "saffron terrorism" remarks of Home Minister P Chidambaram by saying that terror has no colour.

In an apparent balancing act, the Congress on Friday appeared to have distanced itself from the "saffron terrorism" remarks of Home Minister P Chidambaram by saying that terror has no colour.

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With BJP and Shiv Sena seeking to rake up a controversy over the minister's remarks in a conference of DGPs on Wednesday, Congress General Secretary and media department chief told reporters and the controversy has erupted because of a word.

"As far as saffron or bhagwa or kesariya (other words for saffron) it was not not an issue then. The issue was terrorism. Terrorism does not not have colour. Terrorism has only one colour and it is black.

"Whatever colour terrorism may be associated with. whatever you call it saffron, green, white or red can you associate it with one colour," he asked.

Dwivedi said "terrorism is terrorism and in whatever form it comes it should be opposed. saffron colour has been part our ancient tradition and is associated with our freedom struggle. No particular section of the society has sole right on it."

Probably worried that Hindutva outfits could exploit the the words "saffron terror", he said no no section could appropriate saffron colour.