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‘Wise men should…’: Harish Rawat’s advice to Salman Khurshid on book row
The Congress has already distanced itself from Salman Khurshid’s comment in his book. Harish Rawat reiterated that this could be Salman Khurshid’s personal view, “but the Congress and we all don’t agree with it.”
HALDWANI: Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Friday waded into the row over Salman Khurshid’s controversial statement in his book, saying his party colleague should correct his statement in the book that has touched off a political firestorm and should avoid any comparisons that “strengthen venom-spewing forces in society”.
“Politicians, or for that matter, wise men should avoid making such statements,” Rawat, a former Uttarakhand chief minister, said in Haldwani in response to questions on Khurshid’s remark in his book “Sunrise over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times”.
At one point in the book, Khurshid referred to Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints “being pushed aside by robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years.”
The Congress has already distanced itself from Khurshid’s comment. Rawat reiterated that this could be Salman Khurshid’s personal view, “but the Congress and we all don’t agree with it.”
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has already stressed that comparing Hindutva to Jihadist Islam was an exaggeration.
In a tweet earlier, Azad said the Congress may not agree with Hindutva as a political ideology distinct from the composite culture of Hinduism, “but comparing Hindutva with ISIS and Jihadist Islam is factually wrong and an exaggeration.”
The BJP has been unsparing in its criticism. On Friday, the Madhya Pradesh government said it is exploring the option of banning Khurshid’s book in the state.
MP home minister Narottam Mishra saw the comment as a reflection of the approach of top Congress leaders who leave no opportunity “to attack our faith”.
To be sure, Khurshid has underlined that the statement was being misinterpreted. “I have not called these guys terrorists, I have just said they are similar in distorting religion. What Hindutva has done, it has pushed aside Sanatan Dharma and Hinduism and it has taken over a robust, aggressive position similar to Boko Haram and those other guys,” he said.
