Shashi Tharoor sued in Kolkata for 'Hindu Pakistan' jibe, summons issued through Twitter, FB

(Reported by Pooja Mehta)

KOLKATA: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who has been facing criticism for making the controversial 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, has now been booked for allegedly ''insulting the nation, hurting religious sentiments and distorting the secular fabric of the country.''

According to report, a case under Section 153A/295A of the Indian Penal Code and Section 2 of The Prevention Of Insults To National Honour Act, 1971 has been filed against Shashi Tharoor by a Kolkata-based advocate Sumeet Chowdhury.

In his complaint against the Thiruvananthapuram MP, the petitioner alleged that Tharoor has issued public statements whereby he has stated that if Indians vote for a particular party (BJP) in 2019 General Elections, it will turn India into 'Hindu Pakistan' and will tear the Constitution of the country.

Chowdhury further stated that the veteran Congress leader has even refused to apologise for his remarks which are in absolutely bad taste.

This has hurt the religious sentiments of the countrymen, insulted the Constitution, and has been intended to create great conflict and disharmony based on the religious divide, the petitioner alleged.

Advocate Chowdhury stated that Tharoor has also insulted Indians by comparing an 'Islamic State' like Pakistan with a 'Secular State' like India. 

Tharoor has also ignored the fact that India is a far superior nation compared to Pakistan, which most countries scorn and disdain, he stated.

Tharoor has reportedly been asked before the court on August 14 in this connection.

Interestingly, the court has also allowed authorities to issue summons to him through his official and Facebook handles apart from regular process of law.

This is important as it is probably for the first time in the history of Indian judiciary that a summon will be served through Twitter, as claimed by the petitioner.

Tharoor had stirred a political storm on Thursday by saying that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.

Under attack from the ruling BJP and several right-wing organisations for making the 'Hindu Pakistan' jibe, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had on Friday tweeted the popular song 'kuchh to log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehnaa.'

Tharoor took to Twitter and tweeted the song from the 1971 hit Bollywood movie 'Amar Prem' which was sung by legendary singer Kishore Kumar.

कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना
छोड़ो बेकार की बातों में कहीं बीत ना जाए रैना https://t.co/QtrDqZW9kn#HinduPakistan — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 12, 2018

"If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one. That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan," Tharoor had said while addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Tharoor's statement drew flak from various political quarters with the BJP demanding an apology from the Congress president Rahul Gandhi. 

(With Agency inputs)