Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has triggered a fresh political controversy after describing Hindutva as “Hinduism in paranoia,” drawing strong criticism from the BJP, which accused him of insulting Sanatan Dharma.
Aiyar made the remarks while speaking at a debate titled “Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva” held at the Calcutta Club. The event, organised by the Calcutta Debating Circle, featured several prominent speakers, including Mahua Moitra, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MP Swapan Dasgupta, lawyer J Sai Deepak, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, historian Ruchika Sharma and journalist Ashutosh.
In his address, Aiyar argued that Hinduism is a spiritual tradition, while Hindutva is a political ideology. He said Hinduism had survived for centuries without what he called the “protection” of Hindutva and contrasted the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda with the ideas of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Aiyar alleged that Hindutva politics fosters fear and intolerance, citing incidents of violence by self-styled vigilantes.
BJP Hits Back
The remarks prompted an immediate rebuttal from Sudhanshu Trivedi, who questioned the framing of Hinduism as an “ism” and said Hindutva represents the core philosophical essence, or Hindu tattva, of the religion. He argued that cherishing Hinduism itself amounts to Hindutva.
The BJP escalated its attack, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accusing Aiyar of repeatedly targeting Sanatan traditions. He alleged that the Congress has consistently sought to portray Hindutva as extremist and said the ideology has been recognised by the Supreme Court as a way of life.
Poonawalla also dragged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi into the controversy, claiming the party’s leadership has echoed similar views in the past.
The comments and counter-comments have reignited the long-running political debate over the distinction between Hinduism as a faith and Hindutva as a political ideology, with sharp reactions across party lines.
