Nainital: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid's residence in Uttarakhand's Nainital was vandalised on Monday, allegedly after his new book compared Hindutva with radical Islam. DGI (Kumaun) Neelesh Anand told ANI that 21 people have been booked in connection with the incident.
Sharing pictures and videos on Facebook, Khurshid wrote, "I hoped to open these doors to my friends who have left this calling card. Am I still wrong to say this cannot be Hinduism? So such is the debate now. Shame is too ineffective a word. Besides I still hope that we can reason together one day and agree to disagree if not more."
Condemning the incident, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor termed it as "disgraceful" and called Khurshid a "statesman who has done India proud in international forums". "This is disgraceful. Salman Khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums and always articulated a moderate, centrist, inclusive vision of the country domestically. The mounting levels of intolerance in our politics should be denounced by those in power," Tharoor tweeted.
The Congress leader got embroiled in controversy after he recently launched his new book 'Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times'. Several political leaders have condemned Khurshid for his new book including Union ministers. Two Delhi lawyers have filed complaints on Thursday with Delhi Police against Khurshid, for allegedly defaming and comparing Hinduism with terrorism.
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