Tolerance deteriorating in India: Farooq Abdullah on attack on Kulkarni

Says the incident in Mumbai poses a great worry to all

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah today condemned the paint smearing attack on ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, saying the tolerance that India has always shown has started deteriorating.

"It (the paint smearing attack on Kulkarni) is very unfortunate incident. I condemn it. I request all the people to condemn and not promote such incidents in future," Abdullah told reporters here.

"I think the incident in Mumbai poses a great worry to all of us as the tolerance that India has always shown has started deteriorating at the cost of the nation," he said.

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

"We should hear the other side (Pakistan) also patiently and when the other side is wanting to talk of friendship between India and Pakistan and the book suggests the ways and means of doing that, I think it (attacking them) is very unfortunate," Abdullah said.

"When he (former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri) goes back home, how will the people react there? He came with goodwill and he had been treated like this? It is very unfortunate," he said.

The former chief minister also deplored the polarising atmosphere in the state and said, "Forces are trying to divide the state, which is being detrimental to the nation itself. We must fight at all cost who are trying to divide the people."

"I have told my workers that we have to stand together and fight such elements," he said.