BJP's Ram Kadam to file complaint against Salman Khurshid for equating Hindutva with ISIS

Fuming over Congress leader Salman Khurshid's controversial words on Hindutva, BJP leader Ram Kadam will file a complaint against Khurshid on Friday. Claiming that crores of Hindus were hurt by his book on the Ayodhya dispute, Kadam said that he will file a complaint against Khurshid at Ghatkopar's Chirag Nagar Police at 11:30 AM. Khurshid has kicked up a controversy comparing Hindutva to radical jihadist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram in his new book 'Sunrise over Ayodhya'.

Ram Kadam to file FIR against Salman Khurshid

What has Khurshid written in his book?

The contentious part is in the 'The Saffron Sky' chapter of Salman Khurshid's book 'Sunrise over Ayodhya: Nationhood in our times'. Set in the 'Mandir movement', Khurshid argued that the Ayodhya dispute was about supremacy of one faith. Likening Hindutva, which was on the rise then, to hardline outfits like ISIS and Boko Haram he lamented the sidelining of Hinduism.

It reads, "Whatever rationalization might have been offered, the Ayodhya saga was throughout about one faith trumping the methods of another. But the former faith itself was experiencing a contest of interpretation. Sanatan dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints was 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".

Despite facing ire from several quarters including BJP, Khurshid refused to back down on his controversial remark. He asked, "What should I compare what they (BJP) do with? With Hitler? There is something wrong with people who misuse Islam, then why can't I say that something is wrong with people who misuse Hinduism? Do they have a monopoly on Hinduism? They are rather destroying it. That is why I compared them to ISIS and Boko Haram."

Khurshid's comments faced ire from the BJP which said that his words reflected the true mindset of Congress of legitimising radical elements of ISIS by creating an artificial equivalence with Hindus. Similarly, Azad's peer former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad said that comparing Hindutva to ISIS was 'factually wrong' and 'exaggeration'. "We may not agree with Hindutva as a political ideology distinct from composite culture of Hinduism, but comparing Hindutva with ISIS and Jihadist Islam is factually wrong and an exaggeration," said Azad. Even ally Shiv Sena slammed Khurshid, calling his comments an insult to Hinduism.