According to media reports, an arrest warrant has been issued against Congress politician Shashi Tharoor for his ‘Hindu Pakistan’ remark. Chief metropolitan magistrate Dipanjan Sen issued a bailable warrant against Mr. Tharoor on a petition by lawyer Sumit Chowdhury, who claimed the statement promoted disharmony.
Kolkata based lawyer Sumeet Chowdhury had filed the case against Shashi Tharoor under Sections 153A/295A of IPC and section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 in July.
According to the My Nation report, Chowdhury had stated, “Tharoor has issued public statements whereby he has stated that if Indians vote for a particular party (BJP) in 2019 General Elections, in that case the party will turn India into ‘Hindu Pakistan’ and will tear the Constitution of India.” He also added that Shashi Tharoor had refused to apologize for his remarks. Chowdhury argued, “This has hurt the religious sentiments of the Indian citizens, insulted the Constitution and has been intented to create great conflict and disharmony based on religious divide.”
A witness in the case Sonjoy Som said, “He has also insulted Indians by comparing an Islamic State like Pakistan with a secular State like India. He has also ignored the fact that India is a far superior nation compared to Pakistan, which most countries scorn and disdain.” He further added, “The summon has been issued and has been allowed to be served on the accused through his Twitter handle apart from regular process of law. This is unprecedented; for the first time someone will be served summons on social media.”
Shashi Tharoor’s ridiculous remarks had led a huge wave of anger across the country and its results are clearly evident in people’s reaction. His deliberate attempt to to provoke majority community and polarize the minority community has fallen flat on his face. Both the Hindu and the Muslim community have united against the deceitful rant of Shashi Tharoor. Deeply hurt by Shashi Tharoor’s oxymoronic, deceitful rant on Hindu Pakistan, a Muslim scholar from Aligarh Muslim University had also declared prize money of Rs. 11,000 to anyone who blackens the face of the Congress leader. Mohammed Ameer Rashid, President of Muslim Youth Association in Aligarh, condemned the statement of Shashi Tharoor and said that he has hurt the sentiments of both the Hindus and the Muslim nationalists. He said, “Hindu-Muslim unity is our cultural heritage and Tharoor has tried to defame it.” He further added that it was a direct attack on the Hindu culture.
Shashi Tharoor had received criticism from almost every section except from the Congress party.
Sushil Kumar Shinde, Chidambaram, Digvijay Singh and others in the Congress have on different occasions spoken about Hindu, Saffron and Sanghi terror to communalise the political discourse. Therefore when Shashi Tharoor speaks of Hindu Pakistan, it can’t be his personal opinion.
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) July 12, 2018
The Congress has distanced itself from the comments of Shashi Tharoor and advised its leader to choose their words carefully.
The Congress party has still not come out openly against the absurd statement of Shashi Tharoor. Shashi Tharoor is not the only Congress leader who is indulged in portraying majority community as evil and fundamentalist. Time and again other leaders of the Congress party have coined the word like ‘Hindu Terror’ and ‘Saffron terror’ to communalize the political discourse and to appease a particular section of the society. RVS Mani in his latest book has exposed how the false narrative of Hindu Terror was manufactured under the UPA government.