Swami Vivekananda might get Agnivesh-like treatment if he were to come today: Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6: In a veiled attack on the BJP-RSS and to highlight that there is rampant rise in intolerance under the present regime, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that Swami Vivekananda's open minded views would have been staunchly opposed if he were to come and speak out in present times.

Tharoor furher went on to say that Swami Vivekananda may even get the same treatment as what Swami Agnivesh got. Agnivesh was on July 18 thrashed, allegedly by BJP youth wing members, in Jharkhand's Pakur.

"I am convinced if Swami Vivekananda were to come to today's India, he would be the target of these goondas that Swami Agnivesh has been," Tharoor reportedly said at an event in Thiruvananthapuram where social activist Swami Agnivesh was also present.

"They will bring engine oil to throw at his face and will also try to knock him down on the streets because Swami Vivekananda would be saying, respect people. He would say humanity is more important," Tharoor added.

Meanwhile, Agnivesh said that may approach the Supreme Court for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the attack on him as there have been no arrests even after two weeks since the attack.

"I survived just with the grace of God. The mob would have killed me. I thought I was finished," the 79-year-old said while addressing a seminar in Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram, and exhorted people to unite to fight communalism "in the great spirit of saving democracy, Indian constitution and saving the greatest Hindu civilisation".

Addressing the seminar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor came down heavily on the BJP led government at the Centre and claimed communal violence and killings in the name of cow vigilantism have increased in the last four years.