Shashi Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' comment: Congress goes into damage control mode, asks leaders to choose their words carefully

Following a massive row over Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s ‘Hindu Pakistan’ remark, Congress has now gone into damage control mode while implicitly slamming Tharoor for his statement. After Shashi Tharoor remained brazen and defended his statement, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala in a couple of tweets urged the party workers to choose their words carefully.

While downplaying the rebuke for Shashi Tharoor, Surjewala hit out at the BJP and said, “India’s values & fundamentals are an unequivocal guarantee of our civilisational role & set us apart from the divisive idea of Pakistan. All Congress leaders must realise this historic responsibility bestowed upon us while choosing words & phraseology to reject BJP’s hatred.”

Launching a blistering attack at the Modi government, Surjewala drew comparison between the ideologies of the Congress and the BJP saying, “Modi Govt thrives upon an unprecedented atmosphere of division, bigotry, hatred, intolerance & polarisation for last 4 years. Congress, on the other hand, represents India’s civilisational values of pluralism, diversity, compassion & harmony between faiths & ethnicities.”

WATCH| BJP Demands Rahul Gandhi's Apology For Shashi Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' Remark, Accuses Congress Of Hating 'Hindus'

Earlier in the day, BJP National Spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra demanded an explanation and apology from the Congress President, Rahul Gandhi for his party leader’s statement.

Dr Patra also accused Rahul Gandhi of hating “Hindus" and said:

“Rahul ji, you have started hating Indians and also are disgusted with the Hindus of the country. Rahul Gandhi is the same person who coined the term ‘Hindu terror’ in 2008. While speaking to the US Ambassador, he had said he is not frightened of the LeT, he is frightened of ‘Hindu terror’ instead. Following suit, P Chidambaram and Sushil Kumar Shinde had propagated the tem and had accused the RSS of running a terror  factory. The very next day, Pakistani newspapers had carried the news and said they stand by the Congress statement,” said the BJP national spokesperson.

Dr Sambit Patra also accused the Congress leaders of indulging in politics of negativity through their statements instilling fear in the minds of countrymen.

The BJP leader also claimed that only a party like Congress can have the audacity of comparing India with terror state Pakistan.

WATCH| Congress Says If BJP Wins, India Will Become "Hindu Pakistan"

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor courted massive controversy after saying should the BJP come into power in 2019, the democratic constitution of India would cease to survive and India would turn into a "Hindu Pakistan".

"Because all the three elements they need to tear up the constitution of India and write a new one. And that will be a new one that will enshrine the principle of a Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for the minorities, that will create a Hindu Pakistan," said Tharoor while addressing a gathering at Thiruvananthapuram.

READ| Shashi Tharoor 'Hindu Pakistan' Controversy: SHOCKING Justification Of Comment By Tharoor As Congress Distances Itself

Later, while issuing a statement on Facebook, Tharoor remained brazen and defended his statement saying,"BJP/RSS idea of a Hindu rashtra would be the mirror image of Pakistan-- a state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place... That would be a Hindu Pakistan, and it is not what our freedom movement fought for, nor the idea of India enshrined in our Constitution".