Trying to take a middle ground on the debate on intolerance after the Paris attacks, the Congress lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan and Union Minister VK Singh for their controversial remarks on the attacks and the returning of awards by artists and writers.

Party spokesperson Ajay Maken said here on Monday that both Singh and Khan should be dismissed from the Union and State Cabinets for their remarks. Khan had said that that the world superpowers should think whether the attacks were a "reaction" to the "killing of innocents" in Arab countries, while Singh said the returning of awards was a paid programme to malign the government.

Maken also disassociated from the remarks made by veteran Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar that the Islamophobia that is being carried out in the western countries should be stopped immediately.

Maken said Khan gives himself tough competition in making senseless remarks again and again. “He should be sacked from the UP Cabinet immediately,” Maken said. Lashing out at Singh, he said: "We want to ask Singh whether he considered the President, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan or the Dalai Lama who have raised questions with regard to this atmosphere of intolerance as 'paid'?"

Maken added that though Khan and Singh belonged to two different parties, they represented "blatant mainstreaming of the fringe that has happened in recent months". “The BJP claims that it is the voice of fringe elements. If they are fringe voices, why they are continuously allowed to speak in this manner and no action is being taken against them? They are gradually becoming the main stream voices of the party,” he said. He added that both SP and BJP are "complementary" to each other in politics.

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