Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday made a controversial statement terming Hindutva as “Hinduism in a state of paranoia” during his public address in Kolkata. His statement came at a debate titled “Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva”, organised by the Calcutta Debating Circle. While addressing at the event, Aiyar drew a distinction between Hinduism as a spiritual tradition and Hindutva as a political ideology. He further argued that Hindutva promotes a sense of fear among the Hindu majority, claiming it portrays “80 per cent Hindus as being made to fear 14 per cent Muslims.”
