Salman Khurshid's house in Nainital vandalised days after release of his new book, 21 people booked

NAINITAL: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid's residence in Uttarakhand's Nainital was vandalised by some people on Monday allegedly after his new book compared Hindutva with radical Islam. DGI (Kumaun) Neelesh Anand told ANI that several people have been booked in connection with the incident.

"Rakesh Kapil and 20 others have been booked. Strict action will be taken against perpetrators," he said. Sharing pictures and videos on Facebook, Khurshid wrote, "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 another post. In a video, two people can be seen dousing out fire while the pictures show tall flames of fire and a charred door and shattered windows.

As per media persons on the ground, some people also raised slogans and flags outside Khurshid's residence today. Condemning the incident, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor termed it is "disgraceful" and called Khurshid a "statesman who has done India proud in international forums."

"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," Tharoor tweeted. The Congress leader got embroiled in controversy after he recently launched his new book 'Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times.'

Several political leaders have condemned Khurshid for his new book including Union Ministers. Two Delhi lawyers have filed complaints on Thursday with Delhi Police against Khurshid, for allegedly defaming and comparing Hinduism with terrorism in his book which was released last week.

Advocate Vivek Garg in his complaint is seeking to file a case against Khurshid. The complaint alleges that senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has compared Hindutva to radical terrorist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, advocate Vineet Jindal in his complaint said that the statement published in the said book is not only instigating and provoking but also stirring emotions among followers of the Hindu religion. Khurshid's new book on the Ayodhya verdict was released last week. It explored the Apex Court's landmark judgment on the Ayodhya dispute. Senior Congress leader Khurshid has compared Hindutva to radical terrorist groups like "ISIS and Boko Haram".

The development comes at a time when seven states in the country namely Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat are slated to go for assembly elections next year.