Ansari's Hindu extremism warning draws sharp rebuke from Rijiju

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari's statement on threats posed by Hindu right-wing extremism has triggered a political row. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded on social media, saying the biggest problem is that Ansari and others never speak against extremists, religious fanatics and separatists.

VHP spokesperson Surendra Jain also criticized Ansari, accusing him of insulting the nation and its traditions. Jain argued that Hindu communalism poses no greater danger than left-wing extremism, and said if Hindus were truly communal, Ansari would not dare make such statements. Jain recalled Ansari's earlier statements about Muslim insecurity in India and his criticism of the Ram Mandir verdict.

Ansari made his remarks while speaking at an AG Noorani memorial lecture, referencing a 2019 book titled "The RSS: A Menace to India" and invoking Jawaharlal Nehru's alleged statement that the threat to India was not communism but Hindu right-wing communalism.