Shashi Tharoor flays lynching incidents in the nation

Pune:  “I am a Hindu but not of this kind. Those who were killed in the lynching are asked to chant Jai Sri Ram, which was an insult to Hindu religion,” said MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

He was speaking at the meet organised by ‘All India Professionals Congress’ (AIPC), Pune chapter. AIPC is the professional wing of the Congress party and Tharoor is Chairman of the body. 

Tharoor said, “We have seen from past six years, starting from Mohsin Shaikh in Pune. Mohammad Akhlaq was killed for carrying beef, but later it was reported it was not beef. Even though it was beef, who has given them the right to kill anyone?” he asked.

He spoke about the lynching of Pehlu Khan. Even though he had a licence to transport cows in his truck, he was lynched.

On the row over a common language for India, Tharoor said he was in favour of the three-language formula, which promotes multilingual options.

Tharoor, a strong critic of the Modi government, said, “We should support our  prime minister when he visits foreign countries, but at same time we have the right to question him within the country if something goes wrong.”    

Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had people from different communities under his rule. But he instructed everyone to respect each other, he said. The BJP’s idea of Hinduism is a “political ideology” and does not have any connection with Hinduism, the Congress leader claimed. 

AIPC’s contribution has lessened the gap between Congress workers and professionals.