Indian MP Tharoor: Hinduism 鈥榓n inclusive faith鈥�
Leading opposition politician Shashi Tharoor says Indians don鈥檛 want to be 鈥榖igoted or intolerant鈥�
Indian opposition politician Shashi Tharoor has told the 大象传媒 that despite rising Hindu nationalism in India, Indians don鈥檛 鈥榩articularly want to be bigoted or intolerant鈥�.
Speaking to HARDtalk鈥檚 Stephen Sackur, Mr Tharoor said Hinduism was 鈥榚ssentially an inclusive faith that celebrates diversity and pluralism within it and outside it鈥�. However, the inclusive message 鈥榟as been mixed up with other factors鈥�, including national security concerns.
Shashi Tharoor is a Member of Parliament for the opposition Indian National Congress and the author of several books on Indian history and culture. The Congress party鈥檚 dominance of Indian politics was overturned by the election of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
Critics accuse India鈥檚 government of pursuing policies discriminatory to religious minorities, particularly Muslims. Asked if the opposition Congress party was likely to repeal laws at national or local level seen by some as anti-Muslim, Tharoor said: 鈥榯he kind of vigilantism that has been encouraged by the present government would certainly get no official support, in fact, that would probably be cracked down upon鈥�. But some laws, for example banning the slaughter of cows, 鈥榩eople will have to respect鈥�.
India鈥檚 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a state visit to the United States.
