Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday slammed former Vice President Hamid Ansari for the latter's comments on Indiaand the Narendra Modi government at a gathering on Wednesday. On Republic Day, Naqvi attended an event organised by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), where he gave an address, saying, In recent years, we have experienced the emergence of trends and practices that dispute the well-established principle of civic nationalism and interposes a new and imaginary practice of cultural nationalism... Also read |Central Asia 'central' to India's vision: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at first India-Central Asia Summit It seeks to present an electoral majority in the guise of a religious majority and monopolise political power. It wants to distinguish citizens on the basis of their faith, give vent to intolerance, insinuate otherness, and promote disquiet and insecurity...some of its recent manifestations are chilling, the former Vice President had said according to the IAMC press release. Subsequently, Naqvi on Thursday criticised Ansari for his comments on India and for attending an event organised by a group that had a link with anti-India elements. This Indo-American Muslim Council, who had a link with SIMI [Students' Islamic Movement of India] and ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence], who used to propagate anti-India bashing and Modi bashing, has done it again. It is strange that the same person [sitting on a Constitutional post] used the PFI [Popular Front of India] platform earlier, said Naqvi on Thursday. Also read |Uttarakhand Congress ex-President Kishore Upadhyay joins BJP ahead of elections The SIMI is banned in India under anti-terror laws, while the PFI stand accused of advocating extremist views, with many demanding a nationwide ban on the party. [Our] country always follows the principle of tolerance and secularism, the Union minister added. We also believe in cultural nationalism, Naqvi said, responding to Ansari's charge, but did not elaborate on what he meant by the statement.