Thiruvananthapuram: BJP youth activists on Monday smeared black oil on Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor’s constituency office here over his comment that a “Hindu Pakistan” would be created if the ruling party at the Centre returned to power.
Tharoor said the BJP youth wing activists also drove away the locals who were waiting with their petitions outside his workplace and even tied a banner saying “Hindu Pakistan” office.
Thiruvananthapuram district BJP President S. Suresh said the incident was a protest against a wrong statement. “This protest took place as Tharoor is the Lok Sabha member from here and hence this is nothing but a natural protest because of his erroneous statement,” said Mr Suresh.
Senior Congress legislator V.D. Sateeshan told the media that the incident was a show of the BJP’s arrogance and State Congress president M.M. Hassan and leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala strongly condemned the act.
Tharoor however, was not present in the office when the incident took place. “The BJP Yuva Morcha vandals poured black engine oil on signs, doors, walls, and gate, drove away innocent citizens waiting with their petitions, put up offensive banners and shouted slogans asking me to go to Pakistan,” the Congress leader tweeted.
1/2 Today @YUVAMORCHABJP vandals attacked my constituency office in Thiruvananthapuram. They poured black engine oil on signs, doors, walls & gate, drove away innocent citizens waiting with their petitions, put up offensive banners & shouted slogans asking me to go to Pakistan.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 16, 2018
Speaking on “Threats faced by Indian Democracy and Secularism” at an event in the city last week, Mr Tharoor said: “The great danger is that if they (the BJP) are able to win a repeat of their current strength in the Lok Sabha, then frankly our democratic constitution as we understand will not survive because they will have all the three elements they need to tear up the Constitution of India and write a new one. That will be a new one which will enshrine the principle of Hindu Rashtra, will remove equality for minorities, that will create a Hindu Pakistan.”
In another tweet, Tharoor said BJP’s answer to the question about giving up the dream of a Hindu Rashtra was vandalism and violence. “The BJP’s answer to the simple question “have you given up the dream of a Hindu Rashtra?” is apparently vandalism and violence. That is the face they have shown in Thiruvananthapuram today. Most Hindus will say these Sanghi goondas do not represent us,” he said
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
