A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party distanced itself from party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's statement on 'women wearing lipstick and powder' and protesting against politicians, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Tuesday came to his defence, stating that his sentiments were justified but he could have been more careful with words.
Ram Madhav, a member of the RSS Central Executive, today defended Naqvi's statement, saying the sentiments expressed by him against the protestors were justified. However, he felt leaders and protestors should be more cautious while using the language in which they choose to express their ire.
"The leaders should be careful about the words they choose," Madhav told PTI. He felt that people in a democracy have a right to protest though this was not the right time to do so.
"The anger of the public (in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks) is justified. However, right now the priority of the entire nation should be to rise up against the terrorists and their sponsors across the border," he said.
The RSS leader said it was important for the people and the political establishment to understand that together they constitute the democratic polity of the country.
Naqvi's comment against protestors had raised a storm on Monday.
"Some women wearing lipstick and powder have taken to streets in Mumbai and are abusing politicians, spreading dissatisfaction against the democracy. This is what terrorists are doing in Jammu and Kashmir," he had told some news channels.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, in an attempt to distance the party from Naqvi's comments, said, "These are Naqvi's personal views and the party had nothing to do with it."
BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley had also reacted cautiously to the statement, saying that everybody had the right to protest in a democracy, but the language used should be more dignified.
