Kolkata, Feb 17 (IANS): Contending that the Congress raised the pitch about "saffron terror" and "Hindu terror" to divert attention from its failures and corruption, the BJP Saturday charged Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other party leaders with having insulted the national flag.

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the matter would be raised in the coming budget session of parliament with the demand for apology from government ministers and MPs who have "insulted the nation".

"Whenever questions are raised on the (United Progressive Alliance) government's failure, they point fingers at saffron terror to deflect attention from issues of corruption," Joshi told a media meet here.

Claiming that a United Nations sub-committee had three-four years back named people involved in the Samjhauta blast, he said: "Despite being aware of the report, the government had taken some people into custody in the name of saffron terror."

"Government ministers, Congress MPs and office-bearers say such things (about saffron terror) repeatedly. They should know saffron is there at the top of the national flag. They have insulted the national flag, the nation and the national identity. We will demand their apology in parliament. The government should make it clear that there is no relation between saffron and terrorism," he said.

On the contrary, Joshi said, the BJP felt terror has no colour.

Asking for one yardstick for Hindus and Muslims in matters of terrorism and crime, he said: "We are only saying the guilty should be punished. But it should not be that if a Muslim is found guilty, efforts would be made to declare him innocent. And if a Hindu is innocent, don't try to project him as guilty."

Shinde had referred to "Hindu terrorism" and "saffron terrorism" during the Congress conclave in Jaipur last month.