LK Advani condemns intolerance a second time in two days

Senior BJP leader LK Advani has spoken out about the values of tolerance on two occasions in a gap of 24 hours. The second time was on Monday morning after the black paint attack on his former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni by Shiv Sena. "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....

This is a matter of concern for the nation. Democracy must ensure tolerance for a different point of view," Advani said.

His reaction came on the sidelines of a function in the Capital to release the inaugural issue of journal Chanakya. "This morning I saw on TV my long-time colleague Sudheendra Kulkarni has been attacked," Advani said.

Kulkarni was smeared with ink by Shiv Sena workers for refusing to cancel the launch of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book "Neither a Hawk nor a Dove" in Mumbai. Without naming the Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, Advani said "at least those who are involved with us should work to strengthen democracy and not encourage such acts of violence and disown them.... But whosoever has done it, has besmirched the good name of the country."

On Sunday morning, while sharing dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in the Capital to commemorate the 113th birth anniversary of Jaiprakash Narayan, Advani went down memory lane to recall his association with JP and then went on to talk of tolerance and fundamental freedom of people in the present context. "It is our collective duty to ensure that democracy and fundamental freedoms of citizens in India will never again be infringed. We need to promote the values of tolerance, consensus-building and cooperation, transcending political, ideological and social differences in all walks of life including politics and governance," he said.

The comments of the BJP veteran, who is a member of the party's marg darshak mandal, resonate what President Pranab Mukherjee said soon after a Muslim man was killed on the suspicion he had eaten beef. Mukherjee had said tolerance and diversity were at the core of India's civilisation and should be safeguarded.

The attack on Kulkarni came in for condemnation from another senior BJP leader and former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha. "I cannot imagine why any political party should oppose a book launch. Why should we object to a book launch. I attended Kasuri's book launch in Delhi. It's a question of bilateral relations with Pakistan. There are better ways of expressing one's views,"he said.

On issues like Shiv Sena protesting against Ghulam Ali concert and Kasuri's book launch, the BJP has taken a critical approach. "The government of India has given visas to them.... There is no space for intolerance in politics. We request Shiv Sena, our old ally, to refrain from politicising," said BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh.

MoS Rijiju calls it an 'unfortunate' incident
Disapproving the act of smearing black paint on Sudheendra Kulkarni, minister of state for home, Kiren Rijiju said the unfortunate incident was not a civilized way to protest and should not have taken place. "This is about mentality…In this country, everyone has a fundamental right to protest but there has to be a way to protest, not physically harm anyone. This is not right," he said on the sidelines of a BSF function. Rijiju said acts like smearing black paint on someone's face should not have happened as there are ways to protest in a civilised society. "Sabhya samaj main virodh karne ka tarika hote hain. Our Constitution allows us to hold protest in a proper manner. One should only lodge protest under the law and this will act to strengthen our democracy," he said.