Former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has cited a historical observation attributed to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on communal politics, triggering criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ansari made the remarks while delivering the third A.G. Noorani Memorial Lecture at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi on September 18.
Referring to constitutional expert and author A.G. Noorani’s 2019 book The RSS: A Menace to India, Ansari recalled a statement attributed to Nehru and recorded by former Foreign Secretary Jagat Singh Gundevia during a meeting of Ministry of External Affairs officials. According to the account cited by Ansari, Nehru had identified Hindu right-wing communalism, rather than communism, as a danger to India.
Ansari also discussed what he described as a shift from civic nationalism towards cultural nationalism. He argued that such developments could distinguish citizens on the basis of faith and affect the country’s constitutional framework. He called for these trends to be addressed through political and legal processes.
The remarks drew a political response from the BJP and criticism from Hindu organisations. BJP leaders have disputed Ansari’s framing, while Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Surendra Jain also criticised the former Vice President’s comments.
The controversy has brought historical debates over nationalism, secularism, communal politics and constitutional values back into the political discourse. Ansari’s remarks were made in the context of remembering Noorani’s work and his writings on constitutional issues, civil liberties and minority rights.
