Indianness of citizens being questioned disturbing, says Hamid Ansari

New Delhi: Outgoing Vice-President Hamid Ansari said that India was becoming “intolerant society.” Breakdown of Indian values, breakdown of the ability of the authorities at different levels in different places to be able to enforce what should be normal law enforcing work and over all the very fact that Indianness of any citizen being questioned is a disturbing thought, he said.  

In a 52-minute interview to a television channel, covering a range of subjects, he also said this propensity to be able to assert your nationalism day in and day out is unnecessary. 

Mr Ansari expressed concern over the cow vigilante attacks, mob lynchings and people not saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ being publically told that they should leave the country.  He said India has been a plural society for centuries, not for 70 years, that has lived in a certain ambience of acceptance “which is under threat”. 

The outgoing Vice-President told the television channel that he raised the concerns regarding  growing intolerance in the country with the ministers and the Prime Minister also. 

On being asked what was his response he said, “Well, there is always an explanation and there is always a reason. Now it is a matter of judgement, whether you accept the explanation, you accept the reasoning.”