<p>The house of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid in Uttarakhand's Nainital was vandalised and set on fire by a group of Hindutva activists in response to his book on Ayodhya sparking controversy for remarks comparing Hindutva and Islamic fundamentalists like the Islamic State.<br /><br />Khurshid shared the visuals and photos of his house after the vandalism on Facebook, which showed flames, charred doors and shattered window panes. He also shared a video of a group of people shouting slogans on the premises.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/secularism-to-end-in-india-if-hindus-become-minority-says-g-kishan-reddy-1050618.html">Secularism to end in India if Hindus become minority, says G Kishan Reddy</a></strong><br /><br />"I hoped to open these doors to my friends who have left this calling card. Am I still wrong to say this cannot be Hinduism?... So such is the debate now. Shame is too ineffective a word. Besides I still hope that we can reason together one day and agree to disagree if not more," he wrote in separate posts on Facebook.<br /><br />Deputy Inspector General (Kumaon) Neelesh Anand said that police have booked one Rakesh Kapil and 20 others and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.</p>.<p><br />"I have said in my book that people who do such things do not belong to the Hindu religion. Hindu religion is a beautiful religion that has given a fantastic culture to this country and I am proud of it. This attack is not on me but on Hindu religion," Khurshid was quoted by ANI as saying.<br /><br />The attack came days after his book '<em>Sunrise over Ayodhya</em>' triggered a controversy after he wrote, "Sanatan dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/comparing-hindutva-with-isis-jihadist-islam-factually-wrong-exaggeration-azad-on-khurshid-book-1049687.html">Comparing Hindutva with ISIS, jihadist Islam 'factually wrong, exaggeration': Azad on Khurshid book</a></strong><br /><br />While another Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad found fault with the remarks, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, without referring to Khurshid's book, told a gathering of Congress workers that Hinduism and Hindutva are different and the latter propagates violence.<br /><br />Reacting to the vandalism, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "this is disgraceful. Salman Khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums and always articulated a moderate, centrist, inclusive vision of the country domestically. The mounting levels of intolerance in our politics should be denounced by those in power."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/book-row-khurshid-stands-by-his-views-on-hindutva-1049776.html" target="_blank">Book row: Khurshid stands by his views on Hindutva</a></strong><br /><br />Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who attended the book launch function, said, "I strongly condemn the attack on Salman Khurshid-Ji's residence. These illiterates don't even know what is in the book."</p>
<p>The house of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid in Uttarakhand's Nainital was vandalised and set on fire by a group of Hindutva activists in response to his book on Ayodhya sparking controversy for remarks comparing Hindutva and Islamic fundamentalists like the Islamic State.<br /><br />Khurshid shared the visuals and photos of his house after the vandalism on Facebook, which showed flames, charred doors and shattered window panes. He also shared a video of a group of people shouting slogans on the premises.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/secularism-to-end-in-india-if-hindus-become-minority-says-g-kishan-reddy-1050618.html">Secularism to end in India if Hindus become minority, says G Kishan Reddy</a></strong><br /><br />"I hoped to open these doors to my friends who have left this calling card. Am I still wrong to say this cannot be Hinduism?... So such is the debate now. Shame is too ineffective a word. Besides I still hope that we can reason together one day and agree to disagree if not more," he wrote in separate posts on Facebook.<br /><br />Deputy Inspector General (Kumaon) Neelesh Anand said that police have booked one Rakesh Kapil and 20 others and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.</p>.<p><br />"I have said in my book that people who do such things do not belong to the Hindu religion. Hindu religion is a beautiful religion that has given a fantastic culture to this country and I am proud of it. This attack is not on me but on Hindu religion," Khurshid was quoted by ANI as saying.<br /><br />The attack came days after his book '<em>Sunrise over Ayodhya</em>' triggered a controversy after he wrote, "Sanatan dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/comparing-hindutva-with-isis-jihadist-islam-factually-wrong-exaggeration-azad-on-khurshid-book-1049687.html">Comparing Hindutva with ISIS, jihadist Islam 'factually wrong, exaggeration': Azad on Khurshid book</a></strong><br /><br />While another Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad found fault with the remarks, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, without referring to Khurshid's book, told a gathering of Congress workers that Hinduism and Hindutva are different and the latter propagates violence.<br /><br />Reacting to the vandalism, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "this is disgraceful. Salman Khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums and always articulated a moderate, centrist, inclusive vision of the country domestically. The mounting levels of intolerance in our politics should be denounced by those in power."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/book-row-khurshid-stands-by-his-views-on-hindutva-1049776.html" target="_blank">Book row: Khurshid stands by his views on Hindutva</a></strong><br /><br />Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who attended the book launch function, said, "I strongly condemn the attack on Salman Khurshid-Ji's residence. These illiterates don't even know what is in the book."</p>