Shashi Tharoor: BJP's 'Muslim Party' Attack Based on Lies, Congress Welcomes All

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the raging controversy of Congress being a “party for Muslims”, Shashi Tharoor said that the BJP campaign is based on a lie and his party stands for everyone and not for any particular religion or community.

“This (campaign) is based on a lie, people who attended the meeting have denied that any such thing was said. The Congress is a party for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Parsis. We are a party for everyone. That is what we were created for. Our leaders, workers, voters come from every religion,” the Thiruvanathapuram MP said.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that his party stands with the persecuted and the “last person in the line” and seeks to erase “hatred and fear”, breaking his silence on the controversy.

The Congress has dismissed the report in an Urdu daily, wherein a remark on the Congress being a “party for Muslims” was attributed to Rahul Gandhi, as a “rumour” and asserted that it is a party of 132 crore Indians.

“I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress," Rahul said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, on the controversy related to the Ramayana reading in Kerala, Tharoor said that it was a programme organised by the Congress’ “vichar vibhag” and they routinely organise such discussions.

“The question that came up within the party was that why the party forum should be used for a religious discussion. Some felt that it will play into the hands of those who want to politicise religion. So the party felt why proceed with something that is not fully agreed upon," Tharoor said.

He added that there is nothing to politicise as there are many Hindus in the Congress who believe in their faith.

Tharoor also targeted the BJP-RSS and the Kerala government over the vandalisation of his office and said even after the people have been identified no arrests have been made yet. He said this implied that is the CPM government in the state was not interested in going after the BJP-RSS.