Shashi Tharoor Office Vandalised Over 'Hindu Pakistan' Remark, Congress MP Blames BJP Yuva Morcha
Shashi Tharoor had said that the BJP would turn India into Hindu Pakistan if it comes to power in 2019.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 16: The office of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was vandalised allegedly by activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha on Monday afternoon. The attackers poured black engine oil on Tharoor's office, protesting against his remark that the BJP would turn India into Hindu Pakistan if it comes to power in 2019.
The protestors put a banner saying “Hindu Pakistan office” outside Tharoor’s office and then removed “Hindu”. "Today @YUVAMORCHABJP vandals attacked my constituency office in Thiruvananthapuram. They poured black engine oil on signs, doors, walls & gate, drove away innocent citizens waiting with their petitions, put up offensive banners & shouted slogans asking me to go to Pakistan," the Congress MP tweeted.
"We have all been warned. The BJP’s answer to the simple question 'have you given up the dream of a Hindu Rashtra?' is apparently vandalism & violence. That is the face they have shown in Thiruvananthapuram today. Most Hindus will say these Sanghi goondas do not represent us," he said in another tweet.
The Congress party also condemned the attack at Tharoor's office. “It is a dastardly attack. It exposed the real face of the BJP,” Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said. Police have registered a case against unknown persons.
Speaking on "Threats faced by Indian Democracy and Secularism" at an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said, "The great danger is that if they are able to win a repeat of their current strength in the Lok Sabha, then frankly our democratic constitution as we understand will not survive because they will have all the three elements they need to tear up the Constitution of India and write a new one."
"That will be a new one which will enshrine the principle of Hindu Rashtra, will remove equality for minorities, that will create a Hindu Pakistan," Tharoor said. Despite all the hullabaloo over his remarks, Shashi Tharoor refused to retract, saying the BJP-RSS idea of a Hindu Rashtra remained the mirror image of the neighbouring "intolerant theocratic state".
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2018 04:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).