Kasuri book launch: LK Advani ‘condemns’ ink attack, says democracy must ensure tolerance

New Delhi: Condemning the paint smearing attack on his one-time aide Sudheendra Kulkarni by Shiv Sena activists, BJP patriarch L K Advani voiced concern over "growing intolerance" in the country towards any counter viewpoint.

"I strongly condemn whosoever has done it.... In the last few days, there are these signs...where any person or any point of view is not acceptable, then you resort to violence or turn intolerant towards them,” Advani said on Monday. "This is a matter of concern for the nation. Democracy must ensure tolerance for a different point of view," Advani said.

The senior BJP leader was speaking at the sidelines of a function where a journal on strategic affairs named 'Chanakya' was launched.

He, however, added that he did not have any information on who attacked Kulkarni as he is yet to communicate with him. "I could not contact Sudheendra ji. I think, at least those who are involved with us should work to strengthen democracy and not encourage such acts of violence and disown them.”

"I do not know who has done it and therefore I cannot name anyone. But whosoever has done it, has besmirched the good name of the country," the former deputy Prime Minister said.

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Shiv Sena activists on Monday smeared black paint on the face of Kulkarni, who is the chairman of think tank Observer Research Foundation, for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch in Mumbai.

Earlier at the launch of the journal, where several officers who have served in the country's security establishment including former Deputy National Security Advisor Shekhar Dutt were present, Advani said that in the coming times, battlefields would vastly alter from those of the past and would be more digitised.

The present security environment, he said, does not provide us any comfort. India faces multiple and complex threats and challenges, Advani said adding that five wars had been imposed on the country and many of the insurgencies were supported from abroad.

He also termed as "worrisome" the emergence of non-state terrorist actors like ISIS. He said that much of the activity of such players is clandestine and outside the adopted international laws.

Advani said that a Group of Ministers which had been set up to examine the security situation after Kargil had made nearly several recommendations.

One of the recommendations was setting up research centres, he said while referred to the Chanakya Centre for Strategic Studies (CCSS), which is bringing out the general.