New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has once again triggered a controversy with his remarks describing Hindutva as "Hinduism in paranoia", drawing sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused him of "insulting" Sanatan Dharma.
Aiyar, during a debate titled 'Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva' on Sunday, said, "Hindutva is Hinduism in paranoia. It asks 80 per cent Hindus to quiver in front of 14 per cent Muslims. Hindutva is a BJP leader slapping a blind, hungry tribal girl because she attends a Christmas lunch in a Church. Hindutva raids shopping malls to tear down Christmas decorations."
Referring to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Aiyar said, "Savarkar described Buddhism as an existential threat to all Hindus. He described it as the ultimate negation of Hindutva, bearing the opiate of universalism and nonviolence. He said it was disastrous to national virility and even the existence of the Hindu race."
Aiyar further asserted that Hinduism and Hindutva are fundamentally different, saying Hinduism is a spiritual tradition while Hindutva is political in nature.
"Hinduism is a great spiritual religion. Hindutva is a political tract. Hindutva came in 1923; for thousands of years before Hindutva, Hinduism faced trial and tribulation and yet survived, flourished, with no need for Hindutva protection. There is no way Gandhi's and Swami Vivekananda's Hinduism can be protected or promoted by Savarkar's Hindutva," he said.
Continuing his criticism, Aiyar added, "Savarkar wrote 'Hindus understand themselves as Hindus through acts of violence'. The Mahatma wrote that the Hindu has an old-age civilisation and is essentially non-violent. You've seen that Hindutva vigilantes beat up and even kill anyone suspected of hoarding, eating or transporting beef. Gandhiji wrote that it is a denial of Hinduism and of Ahimsa to kill a human being to protect a cow."
The remarks prompted an immediate backlash from the BJP, with party leaders accusing the Congress of harbouring hostility towards Hindu beliefs.
Reacting to Aiyar's comments, BJP MP Mithilesh Kumar Katheria told IANS, "Mani Shankar Aiyar has spoken incorrectly. Both Hinduism and Hindutva are essential for Hindus. Hindutva is not political. Congress do not have love for Hindus; they love others. The language and culture of India are part of Hindutva. This is our India, our nation, so how can we speak against Hindutva? Hindutva is our life."
Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kashyap also slammed the Congress leader and told IANS, "Thinking or imagining that the Congress party can change the definition of Sanatan Dharma is very dangerous for them. Sanatan Hindu and Hindutva are synonymous with each other. That is why Aiyar's statements are careless. Because of such statements, Congress is stooping so low."
Earlier, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also reacted strongly, taking to X to accuse the Congress of attempting to divide the Hindu community.
"Yet again Congress attempts to create a divide between Hindus. They want 1 Hindu to stand up against the other Hindu. This benefits Congress whose only focus is -- 'Consolidate Vote Bank: Unite Minority, Divide Hindu Majority'," he wrote. Congress is yet to comment on Aiyar's remarks.
IANS