Advani condemns attack on former aide

BJP leader voices concern over “growing intolerance”, says perpetrators have besmirched the country’s name

NEW DELHI: BJP patriarch LK Advani on Monday voiced concern over growing intolerance in the country towards any counter point of view. Advani condemned Shiva Sena activists who smeared black ink on his one-time aide Sudheendra Kulkarni.

“I strongly condemn whosoever has done it. In the last few days, there are these signs where any person or any point of view is not acceptable. Then you resort to violence or turn intolerant towards them,” Advani said.

“This is a matter of concern for the nation. Democracy must ensure tolerance for a different point of view,” Advani said on the sidelines of a function where a journal on strategic affairs named ‘Chanakya’ was launched.

Kiren Rijiju, Union minister of state for home, too disapproved of the action saying though everyone has the freedom to protest, it should not amount to physically harming anyone.

Condemning the attack, the Congress referred to Advani’s remarks to hit out at the government. “If a person like Mr Advani, who is involved in the Babri Masjid demolition, is telling this government that there is a great deal of intolerance, then you can imagine how intolerant this country is becoming,” party spokesman Ajoy Kumar said.

Shiv Sena activists on Monday smeared black ink on the face of Kulkarni, who is the chairman of think tank Observer Research Foundation, for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book-launch in Mumbai.

At the launch of the journal, Advani said that in the coming times, battlefields would be more digitised.