Shashi Tharoor on Aap ki Adalat: Mutual respect between political rivals crucial There should be a mutual respect between the political rivals, which has been missing since past four years under the Modi government, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said. Talking to India TV's Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma in his show Aap ki Adalat, Tharoor said that in past four years the difference between the ruling and the opposition parties has widened as the government has failed to reach out to rivals. Also read | ​Shashi Tharoor in Aap Ki Adalat: ‘Am a disciple of Swami Vivekananda since childhood, my ‘Hindu Pakistan’ remark was distorted’ "When Manmohan Singh was prime minister, a lot of ministers used to invite leaders of Opposition for meals at home to discuss matters of governance and seek support in Parliament, but that hasn't happened once in last four years," the Congress leader said, adding that the current ministers do not even talk to the opposition. This mutual respect is crucial for the country, he said. Recollecting an incident when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated him for his Oxford debate on British colonialism, Tharoor said: "It felt very good when he (PM Modi) priased my speech and said it was at the right place at the right time. I wished him on his birthday as well, this is just mutual respect." "In 2014, when BJP won I sent out a tweet saying - Congratulations Narendra Modi on splendid victory - I received a reply within 10 mins saying - Congratulations Shashi Tharoor, I look forward to working with you. This was the kind of spirit required, but what we have seen in four years is quite different," he added. Also read | Nobody can stop Hindu Rashtra if BJP wins 2019 Lok Sabha polls, says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ Watch video: There should be a mutual respect between the political rivals, says Shashi Tharoor Watch full episode here: Latest India News<doc-sep>Shashi Tharoor in Aap Ki Adalat Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that he has been a disciple of legendary Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda since his childhood and claimed that his “Hindu Pakistan” remark was distorted by media. Appearing in "Aap Ki Adalat" show hosted by India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma, Tharoor said, “At a seminar in Trivandrum, I had said that if the present BJP leaders do not change their views, there is a risk of a Hindutva version of Pakistan taking place in India. That would be a Hindu Pakistan,but I know majority of Hindus do not subscribe to this.” “When BJP Yuva Morcha workers attacked my office in Kerala, I asked at a rally next day, whether these people want to bring Taliban in Hinduism? This was distorted in media as “Hindu Taliban”, he added. Tharoor also alleged that those who challenged Idea of India over the years are in power today. Watch Video: Am a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, says Shashi Tharoor ​ Watch Full Episode: Full Episode of Shashi Tharoor in Aap Ki Adalat Latest India News<doc-sep>Image Source : SHASHI THAROOR Nobody can stop Hindu Rashtra if BJP wins 2019 Lok Sabha polls, says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that if the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, nobody can stop it from amending the Constitution and declare India a ‘Hindu Rashtra”. He was replying to questions in Rajat Sharma’s ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ show, which was telecast Saturday night on India TV. The MP from Thiruvananthapuram said, “BJP is now in power in 21 states, and in four to five years, it will surely get majority in Rajya Sabha. If the BJP wins the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, then the party will surely amend the Constitution to declare India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. “The day they will have majority in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and in majority of the states, with the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister being part of RSS, who can stop the RSS’ dream of declaring India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’?” Tharoor said, “Those who have challenged the Idea of India over the years are in power today. They still talk of a Hindu Rashtra, and their ideological heroes are Veer Savarkar, M S Golwalkar and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, who had been advocating amending the Constitution. That is why, at the seminar in Thiruvananthapuram, I said, that if the present BJP leaders do not change their views, there is a risk of a Hindutva version of Pakistan taking place in India. That would be a Hindu Pakistan, but I know majority of Hindus do not subscribe to this.” The Congress leader said, “Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi says that our Constitution is a holy book for him, but at the same time, he is a follower of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, who had openly advocated amending the Constitution. This surely raises doubts in the minds of people. Not a single minister at the Centre has disowned Hindu Rashtra”. Asked by Rajat Sharma whether Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be able to stop BJP from retaining power in 2019, Tharoor replied: “It is not a question of Rahul Gandhi alone. There are many leaders in the opposition. There are 80 per cent Hindus in this country of 130 crore people, and a good majority of them are in favour of an inclusive Hinduism.” On lynching incidents, Shashi Tharoor alleged, “in the last 70 years, 97 per cent of lynching incidents, relating to cows, have taken place during the last four and a half years of BJP rule. This is an official government figure. Our Prime Minister has not broken his silence over the Alwar lynching incident in Rajasthan. After the Alwar incident, I had tweeted that ‘it appears, in some places, it is safe to be a cow than a Muslim’.” When Rajat Sharma pointed out that the Congress party has disowned his “Hindu Pakistan” remark and the party spokesperson had cautioned leaders about making such remarks, Tharoor claimed that the entire Congress leadership in Kerala was behind him. “The former chief minister, the KPCC chief, the leader of the legislative party, all Congress leaders in my state have supported my view.” Tharoor, who is embroiled in a case involving the mysterious death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, refused to reply to questions relating to her death, saying the matter was sub-judice, but looked emotional when he was asked how he faced the challenges after his wife’s death in the last four and a half years. “It was very difficult. Satya meri shakti hai (Truth has been my power). I decided, why should I allow them to define me. I will be my own self and stay strong as I can.” He described Delhi Police’s charge of “cruelty” against Sunanda Pushkar as “a complete lie”. “It is a motivated prosecution. Let police prove in court if it is a case of suicide. ..Sunanda never said that I did anything against her, never. All these matters are before the court. I am contesting this in court. I want to clear myself before the court, hence I would refrain from speaking here.” Tharoor went on: “I have a clear conscience. I have not done anything wrong. ..I did not slap my two naughty boys even once, even though they sometimes deserved to..I saw my 80-year-old mother weeping on TV. In my entire life, I had promised myself never to go to any police station or court, but this happened.” Asked about BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s charge that Sunanda’s death mystery was related to IPL, Tharoor shot back: “I do not want to speak about that person. I do not take him seriously. Were those people there, when she was alive?” Watch: Nobody can stop Hindu Rashtra if BJP wins 2019 Lok Sabha polls, says Shashi Tharoor ​​ Watch: Here's what Shashi Tharoor said on Imran Khan Watch: Congress leader's humorous response on Rahul Gandhi 's hug to PM Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in Rajat Sharma’s show “Aap Ki Adalat” was telecast Saturday night at 10 pm on India TV. The repeat telecasts will take place on Sunday 5th August at 10 am and 10 pm. Watch full episode here: Latest India News<doc-sep>
Shashi Tharoor in Aap Ki Adalat "Sunanda's death was a tragedy that struck me, I saw my 80-year-old mother weeping on television," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said while replying to questions in India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma's ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ show. Opening up on the death of his wife, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said he had done nothing wrong, and that his conscience was clear. "I have a clear conscience. I have not done anything wrong. ..I did not slap my two naughty boys even once, even though they sometimes deserved to..I saw my 80-year-old mother weeping on TV. In my entire life, I had promised myself never to go to any police station or court, but this happened," Tharoor said. Tharoor looked emotional when he was asked how he faced the challenges after his wife’s death in the last four and a half years. “It was very difficult. Satya meri shakti hai (Truth has been my power). I decided, why should I allow them to define me. I will be my own self and stay strong as I can.” He described Delhi Police’s charge of “cruelty” against Sunanda Pushkar as “a complete lie”. “It is a motivated prosecution. Let police prove in court if it is a case of suicide. ..Sunanda never said that I did anything against her, never. All these matters are before the court. I am contesting this in court. I want to clear myself before the court, hence I would refrain from speaking here.” WATCH VIDEO: 'Sunanda's death a tragedy in my life', Shashi Tharoor opens up about wife's demise on Aap Ki Adalat Watch full episode here: Latest India News