Bhopal: On Wednesday,in a major blunder, the president of Bharatiya Janata Party's Madhya Pradesh unit, Rakesh Singh, said terrorism symbolises struggle and sacrifice. Rakesh Singh made the gaffe while defending Pragya Singh Thakur's candidature. Thakur, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, is pitted by the BJP against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.

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Here it is to be noted that Singh said in Hindi while addressing a public meeting "Saffron doesn't mean terrorism. A saffron-clad person can never be a terrorist. Terrorism is a symbol of penance, struggle and sacrifice,". The BJP accuses the Congress and especially Digvijaya Singh of coining the term 'Hindu terrorism' or 'saffron terrorism' to defame Hinduism, the charge dismissed by the grand old party.

To be noted that in a recent interview, Digvijaya Singh said that he had used the word 'Sanghi terrorism'. "Hindus cannot be terrorists. It is against the ethos of Hinduism," he said. The Congress leader also said it is a BJP leader who coined the term 'Hindu terrorism'. He was apparently referring to R K Singh, a Union home secretary during the UPA regime who later joined the BJP and became a minister.

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However, it is worth mention here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended the BJP's decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur, Malegaon blast accused, from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, saying it was a symbolic answer to all those who falsely bracketed the rich Hindu civilisation as 'terrorist'.