New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS): Congress MP and noted writer Shashi Tharoor has been on a tour of literature festivals to promote his recent book "Why I Am A Hindu" but he faced the ire of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju who took a subtle dig at Tharoors book on twitter.
Sharing a snapshot of a brief excerpt from the book, where Tharoor mentions that he is a Hindu because he "was born one" and adds that religion is selected for most people "at birth" by the "accident of geography and their parents' cultural moorings", Rijiju criticised Tharoor for having a "lack of strong belief" in his "own faith".
"Shashi Tharoor has rightly stated a mindset. A perfect case of fait accompli. Such lack of strong belief in own faith led invasion of Bharat by outsiders at will and ruled for more than thousand years," Rijiju wrote on twitter.
The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram hit back saying that Rijiju has quoted the first sentence of a 302-page book and advised him to read the book in its entirety.
"Dear @KirenRijiju, you have quoted the first sentences of a 302 page book, the rest of which goes on to explain precisely the very "strong belief in own faith" whose alleged absence you decry. Facts may not matter to your party, but as a DU alumnus, you can do better. Do read," Tharoor responded in another tweet.
Padma Bhushan recipient and Ayurvedic teacher and writer, David Frawley also criticised Tharoor in a tweet and said: "The new Congress Liberal Hinduism via Shashi Tharoor is a secularist fraud to discredit Hindu forces, divide Hindus and undermine the new Hindu revival in India…" Frawley's tweet was accompanied with a link to a story on www.hindupost.in.
Tharoor responded in equal measure.
"Dear @davidfrawleyved, I've done you the courtesy of reading your books before commenting on them.I'm disappointed that you have not returned the favour but attacked my book without quoting it or refuting a single one of its arguments. Political abuse is not debate. #WhyIAmAHindu," Tharoor responded in a tweet.