Tolerance remark: Sena trains guns on Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Mocking Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his 'tolerance' remarks at a literary meet in Pune, the Shiv Sena on Monday said India is a 100 per cent tolerant nation considering the hospitality and "red carpet welcome" it gives to Pakistanis despite numerous infiltrations from across the border.

"They (the government) gave a red carpet welcome to (former Pakistan External Affairs minister) Khurshid Kasuri and provided him security and now talks of tolerance. India should continue being tolerant and play host to Pakistanis despite infiltrations and numerous killings at the border," the Sena said in an edit in party mouthpiece 'Saamana.'

"If this (welcoming Pakistanis despite border killings) is tolerance, India was and will continue to remain a tolerant nation," the Sena said.

Speaking at the 89th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Pune, Fadnavis had on Saturday said India is and will continue to remain a tolerant nation and had asked authors to stop focusing on "negative writings".

The Sena said that when it stopped ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali from performing in Maharashtra, states like West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh invited him to perform there, thereby showcasing their tolerance levels.

"Terrorists were attacking our Air Force base in Pathankot and soldiers were dying there while some naïve politicians were welcoming Ghulam Ali when there was firing and bomb blasts taking place. If this is what tolerance is, India is a hundred per cent tolerant nation..Do these people have the right to call themselves Indians anymore ?" it questioned.

Further attacking the Karnataka government, the Sena said that it has displayed an exemplary tolerance by banning the film "Marathi Tigers" at the border.

"Will our Chief Minister answer the tolerance shown by Karnataka government by banning the film that gave a voice to people of Belgaum?" it asked.