Proud of Hinduism, gave good culture to the country: Khurshid

New Delhi: After vandalism and arson at his house in Nainital, Uttarakhand, Congress leader Salman Khurshid has said that this attack is not on him but on Hindu religion. Khurshid, who was targeted by Hindutva organizations for comparing Hindutva with terrorist organizations like Islamic State and Boko Haram, told ANI that he is proud of Hinduism, it has given great culture to the country.

The former Union minister said, “I have said (in my book) that the people who do this kind of work are not from Hinduism. Hinduism is a beautiful religion, which has given a wonderful culture to the country and I am proud of it. This attack is not on me, but on Hinduism.” On Monday afternoon, some people ransacked and set fire to Khurshid’s residence. After this, the Kumaon Police has registered a case against 21 people.

Recently, in the Congress leader’s new book ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’, he has drawn comparisons between Hinduism and fundamentalist Islam. They are facing huge opposition regarding this. Khurshid said that he is ready to discuss this issue with those who are opposing him. He said, “Everywhere I have said that my doors are open. Why do you need to come and leave a fire mark on my door? Come and talk to me. Maybe I change or you change. But dialogue and dialogue is the basis of our shared life.

The Congress leader further expressed hope that the media would help him in this debate. However, he added that the media is “more interested in publicizing what other people were doing.” Emphasizing on the need for dialogue, Khurshid said, “We need to come together. This country cannot bear this kind of division, especially in the name of religion.” Earlier, showing pictures of the house on Facebook, Khurshid wrote, “Am I still wrong in saying that this cannot be Hindutva?”