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Indian Hindus attack former Muslim foreign minister’s house | New Religions

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Salman Khurshid published a book last month in which he compared Hindu nationalism under Modi to “extremist groups” like ISIL.

Hindu activists have attacked and set fire to the home of a former Indian foreign minister, police say, in a recent incident of religious violence that has sparked criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Salman Khurshid, a Muslim leader in the main opposition Congress, published a book last month in which he compared the type of Hindu nationalism that flourished in the Midi century to “extremist groups” like ISIL (ISIS).

Police said a crowd of about 20 people from a strong local Hindu group gathered outside the house in Khurshid on Monday near the northern city of Nainital.

“They shouted slogans, threw stones, broke several windows, [the entry] and set it on fire [to a door]”Local police chief Jagdish Chandra told the AFP news agency.

The Times of India newspaper reported that the group set fire to an image of Khurshid, shot him and threatened the guard’s beret with a pistol.

Khurshid, who served as Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2014, was away with his family at the time of the incident. He later posted pictures of the attack on social media.

“Shame is too much of a word,” Khurshid, 68, said on social media.

“I was hoping to open these doors to friends who have left this phone card. Am I still wrong to say that this cannot be Hinduism? he added.

Activists say Hindu majority religious minorities in India have increased their level of discrimination and violence since the Hindu Patriotic Bharatiya Janata Hindu Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.

In 2020, the U.S. International Commission on Religious Freedom listed India as a “country of particular concern” for the first time since 2004. The list continued in 2021.

The Modi government rejects the “Hindutva” (Hindu supremacist) radical agenda and emphasizes that people of all religions have equal rights.

The Uttarakhand statue, where the latest incident took place, appears to be a specific site.

Last month, a crowd of about 200 people attacked a state church. The local head of the BJP said the building was used for “suspicious collections”.

Renowned Congressman Shashi Tharoor said the attack on Khurshid’s house was “shameful”.

Khurshid “is a statesman who has always articulated a moderate, centrist and inclusive view of the country.” “Those in power should denounce the growing level of intolerance in our politics,” Tharoor said on Twitter.



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