The Congress disagreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in an interview that his government views all religions at par and won’t tolerate any discrimination, saying he was “simply preaching without practising it”.

Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said such remarks were aimed at diverting attention from the “failures” of his government in the past one year.

Modi had said in an interview to Time magazine that his government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion. He also said its philosophy was “Sabka saath, sabka vikas – Together with all, progress for all”.

“Wherever a (negative) view might have been expressed (about) a minority religion, we have immediately negated that,” he said in the two-hour interview. “So far as the government is concerned, there is only one holy book, which is the constitution of India. The unity and the integrity of the country are the topmost priorities,” he said.

Ahmed however said that what Modi was saying and what people from the Sangh Parivar were doing were “two different things.”

“He is simply preaching without practising it. His government will complete one year in office and there is nothing much to show. On economy, on black money, on other promises, the government has failed miserably. So to divert attention, his government is trying a media blitz and making goody-goody statements,” he said.

Janata Dal-United leader K.C. Tyagi also said there was “difference in his (Modi’s) deeds and words”.