Before Mani Shankar Aiyar's statement on Hinduism and Hindutva, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also made several controversial remarks on the issue. Some of their political allies have also joined the Congress leaders' efforts to differentiate between Hinduism and Hindutva.
New Delhi: Congress or its like-minded party leaders have not just recently started trying to prove that Hinduism and Hindutva are different. In the last few years, numerous controversial statements have been made on this issue by even the top leadership of the Congress party, which has also faced strong political opposition. Before Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has often landed the Congress party in political trouble due to his controversial statements, Rahul Gandhi had also said many things about Hinduism and Hindutva that have caused a political uproar.
‘I am a Hindu, not a Hindutva follower’
While serving as the national president of the Congress in August 2018, Rahul Gandhi said during a conversation with editors in Hyderabad, “I don’t believe in any kind of Hindutva, neither soft nor hard core.” In December of the same year, at a Congress rally against inflation in Jaipur, Rajasthan, he made another statement that sparked considerable controversy. He said, “I am a Hindu, but I am not a Hindutva follower.”
‘Hindutva followers are power-hungry’
Rahul Gandhi didn’t stop there. He further said, “All of you are Hindus. Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu, but Nathuram Godse was a Hindutva follower.” He further added, “The Bhagavad Gita tells Hindus to seek the truth. On the other hand, Hindutva followers have no concern for the truth; they are power-hungry. They are filled with hatred because of their fear… Since 2014, Hindutva followers have been in power, while Hindus are out of power. These (Hindutva followers) are fake Hindus.” In 2019, the Congress contested the Lok Sabha elections under Rahul’s leadership, and the BJP broke all its previous records of victory.
‘What do Hindus need Hindutva for?’
Even after this crushing defeat, Rahul’s views on Hindus did not change. Speaking at a Congress training camp in Wardha, Maharashtra, in November 2021, he said, “When Hindus follow Hinduism, what need do they have for Hindutva?… Is Hinduism meant for beating up a Sikh or a Muslim person? No, but Hindutva is.”
“Hindutva means Hinduism living in fear”
In fact, during a debate organized by the Calcutta Debating Circle in Kolkata on the topic “Hinduism needs protection from Hindutva,” Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said, “Hindutva means Hinduism living in fear. It tells 80 percent of Hindus to be afraid of 14 percent of Muslims.” According to him, “Hindutva is a political ploy.”
Mahua Moitra on Hinduism and Love Jihad
At the same event, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, “A Hindu who follows Hinduism can imagine love between a Hindu and a Muslim, but someone who follows Hindutva will say, no, this is love jihad. A Bengali Hindu who eats meat will offer meat to Goddess Kali, but a Hindutva follower will say, this is not right…” (With agency inputs)
Written by: Anjan Kumar
About the Author
Anjan Kumar is an Assistant Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has over 23 years of experience in electronic and digital media. He is interested in writing on topics related to politics, current affairs, judiciary, defense, foreign affairs, and business.
Courtesy: Hindi News