Only Modi can stop 'Hindu extremism' in India, says Kasuri

Islamabad: Only Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can send back the 'Jinn of Hindutva' into the bottle he brought it out from, Pakistan's former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri has said.

Kasuri's book launch was marred by the Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai last week, Geo TV reported on Tuesday.

"‘Hindutva’ is a right-wing ideology which is centered around the following belief: The entire Indian subcontinent, which includes countries other than India, is the homeland of the Hindus," the report quoted Kasuri as saying on Monday.

Kasuri's statement comes in the wake of reports of Shiv Sena activists barging into the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president's office in Mumbai shortly before he was scheduled to meet PakistanCricket Board chief Shahryar Khan to discuss steps to revive cricket ties between the two nations.

About 40 to 50 Shiv Sainiks barged into the BCCI head office at Wankhede Stadium, shouting slogans against Pakistan and carrying placards saying “Shahryar Khan waapis jao (Shahryar Khan, Go Back)”.

The Shiv Sena also threatened Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar for officiating in ODI matches of the ongoing India-South Africa series in India. Later, he was pulled out of the series by the International Cricket Council (ICC), citing threats by the Shiv Sena activists.

Earlier this month, threats from the Sena led organisers to cancel Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai despite the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assuring that the event would not be stopped, the report said.

Shiv Sena co-governs the Indian state of Maharashtra with Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.