Hamid Ansari Warns Against Hindu Right-Wing Communalism in New Delhi

Former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari criticized the rise of cultural nationalism during the 3rd AG Noorani Memorial Lecture at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi on September 18. Citing a 2019 book by late constitutional expert Abdul Ghafoor Noorani, Ansari referenced a warning from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that the real danger to India was Hindu right-wing communalism rather than communism.

Ansari argued that current trends dispute the principle of civic nationalism to promote an imaginary practice of cultural nationalism. He claimed this shift seeks to monopolize political power by presenting an electoral majority as a religious one, which he said promotes intolerance and insecurity.

The remarks drew sharp criticism from right-wing organizations. Surendra Jain, a spokesperson for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, called the statements an insult to the nation and its traditions, asserting that the ability to make such claims proves Hindus are not fanatical. Simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party Scheduled Tribe Morcha stated that Ansari's highlights of Nehru's views put the Congress party's anti-Hindu politics in the spotlight.