Kolkata Court Issues Arrest Warrant Against Shashi Tharoor For ‘Hindu-Pakistan’ Comment
NEW DELHI : Kolkata Magistrate Metropolitan Court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in connection with a case filed by an advocate Sumeet Chowdhury over Tharoor‘s ‘Hindu-Pakistan’ comment.
Former Union minister Shashi Tharoor faced flak for his controversial remark that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will pave the way for the creation of a “Hindu Pakistan” if voted to power again.
Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor had said, “If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha our democratic constitution as we understand it will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one.
That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that’ll create a Hindu Pakistan.”In July last year, Mr Tharoor had said if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it would create a condition leading to the formation of a “Hindu Pakistan”.
Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor had said the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where the rights of minorities are not respected.
On July 12, advocate Chowdhury moved a petition against Tharoor’s remark before the metropolitan magistrate’s court. Chowdhury alleged that Tharoor’s comment had created disharmony and was ‘a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings’. Besides, Tharoor was sued under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
In this regard, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate M Dasgupta had directed issuance of the summons to the Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor through a post and on his Twitter handle. The court also directed him before to appear before the court for the next hearing on August 14.
The plea by Chowdhury stated that Tharoor had refused to apologise for the public statement that if the BJP is voted to power in the 2019 general election, the party would turn India into a “Hindu Pakistan”. Tharoor’s statement has hurt the religious sentiments of Indians. The statement which was made at a public gathering in Thiruvananthapuram was intended to create conflict and disharmony, besides insulting a secular country, noted Chowdhury.(With Agency Inputs ).
