THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP has decided to go for a no holds barred attack on Shashi Tharoor at the national level against his recent statement that the party would turn India into a ‘Hindu Pakistan’ if returned to power in 2019. Though AICC spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala hit out against Tharoor, the state leaders chose to stand behind the Thiruvananthapuram MP.BJP senior leader and former Union minister for law Subramanaian Swamy told ‘Express’: “I don’t know what he mean by Hindu Pakistan. He is overdosed on something and needs medical help. He is so much into Pakistan.
“Congress leadership should disown his statement and if not it means they are in a state of frustration,” he added. Congress working committee member and former Chief Minister A K Antony declined to comment on the issue. But Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala backed Tharoor. “What Shashi Tharoor said is absolutely true. The BJP is trying to create a theocratic state and if they come to power again it will be catastrophic. We have been saying the same thing for years and we fully back Tharoor”.
BJP leader P S Sreedharan Pillai told Express: “The Congress is trying to set the agenda of minority appeasement for the coming general elections as they don’t have anything else to speak against the Modi government. Shashi Thaoor’s statement is part of that agenda.”
“This is not only an insult of Hindus but of every patriotic Indian regardless of his religious belief,” said Yuvamorcha national secretary Anoop Antony Joseph. “Such statements will weaken India’s stand against Pakistan internationally,” he warned. BJP leadership has decided to speak at public functions on the national and international damage created by the statement.Shashi Tharoor was unavailable for comments.