Nagpur: Former external affairs minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s home in Nainital was vandalized and set on fire on Monday, just a few days after his book on Ayodhya launched.
Khurshid’s book sparked a controversy by drawing a parallel between Hindutva and radical Islamism, resulting in vandalizing the house.
The former minister took to twitter and showed tall flames, crashed doors and windows at his Nainital home. The video also showed two men trying their best to douse the fire. In a post, Khurshid said, “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?”
— Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) November 15, 2021
Kumaon DIG told ANI that a case has been registered against 21 people related to the incident and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.
Congress leaders came out in support of Khurshid and condemned the attack at his house. Thiruvananthapuram MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a post said, “This is disgraceful. @salman7khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums & 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.”
Khurshid has been under the spotlight ever since his book, ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’ launched. Passage of the book that reads “Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a 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” has reportedly hurt he sentiments of various religious groups
