In today’s India, engine oil would be thrown at Swami Vivekananda: Shashi Tharoor

Mumbai: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday continued his scathing attack at the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  (RSS), and said that Swami Vivekananda, the 19th-century spiritual leader, would face violent attacks if he came to present-day India for spreading the message of humanity.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, also attended by social activist Swami Agnivesh, Tharoor said, "I am convinced if Swami Vivekananda were to come to today's India, he would be the target of these goondas that Swami Agnivesh has been."

"They will bring engine oil to throw at his face and will also try to knock him down on the streets because Swami Vivekananda would be saying, respect people. He would say humanity is more important," the Congress leader added.

Swami Agnivesh, who is known for his movement against bonded labour and untouchability, was attacked by a mob, allegedly belonging to BJP-affiliated youth groups in Jharkhand last month.

Tharoor further came down heavily on the Centre and claimed that communal violence, killing in the name of cow vigilantism had increased in the last four years.

Congress lawmaker alleged that as per Home Ministry statistics 2,920 incidents of communal violence had occurred in the country in the last four years, leaving 389 people dead and scores injured.

He further criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence over the issue adding “such incidents had increased as Modi had not come out openly and condemned the killings”.

Swami Agnivesh also addressed the seminar with the theme "Standing up to hatred; Violence and intolerance in contemporary India" and said people should be told not to fall victim to the "narrow Hindutva propagated by the Sangh Parivar".

"Today we need to come together, close our ranks, fight the menace of communalism in the great spirit of saving democracy, Indian constitution and saving the greatest Hindu civilisation," the social activist said.

The seminar was organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies, run by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.

(With PTI inputs)