THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor MP has lashed at the decision of the centre to name the second campus of Rajiv Gandhi Biotechnology Centre after RSS ideologue M S Golwalkar. “Apart from fueling the disease of communalism, even after intense brainstorming, I am not able to figure out what sort of relationship does Golwalkar have with science,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.

Union health minister Harshvardhan on Friday has declared that the new campus of Rajiv Gandhi Biotechnology Centre will be known as Sri Guruji Madhava Sadashiva Golwalkar National Centre for complex diseases in cancer and viral infections. The union minister’s declaration came during the introductory programme of the sixth international science festival organised by Rajiv Gandhi Biotechnology Center.

Shashi Tharoor’s Facebook post is as follows:

The latest reports show that the second campus of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for biotechnology will be named as Sri Guruji Madhava Sadashiva Golwalkar National Centre for complex diseases in cancer and viral infections.

Apart from fueling the disease of communalism, even after intense brainstorming, I am not able to figure out what sort of relationship does Golwalkar have with science. Those who know the history of Rajeev Gandhi will never ask the question of what sort of relationship does Rajeev Gandhi have with science. He had always encouraged scientific innovations and scientific research projects in the country. His governments have also allotted special funds for this purpose. Does BJP have no leaders who made similar contributions in the field of science? Golwalker, who was a Hitler fan, is also notoriously known for his 1966 speech at a programme of VHP, where he talked about, dominations of religion over science.