Tharoor: Congress cannot risk becoming 'BJP Lite'

Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor says his party is not offering a watered-down version of the BJP's political messaging and the spirit of Indian secularism was very much 'alive and well' in the grand old party.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has warned his party against becoming 'BJP lite'.

In an interview to news agency PTI, Tharoor reiterated that the Congress party cannot risk trying to become 'BJP Lite' as it may end up making it 'Congress Zero'.

Tharoor said his party was not offering a watered-down version of the BJP's political messaging and the spirit of Indian secularism was very much 'alive and well' in the grand old party.

"I have long argued that any attempt to emulate 'Pepsi Lite' by 'BJP Lite' will end up with us becoming like 'Coke Zero' -- that is, 'Congress Zero'," the former Union minister was quoted by PTI.

"Congress is not BJP in any shape or form, and we should not attempt to be a lighter version of something we are not. Nor are we trying to, in my view," he added.

Clarifying thay the Congress was not making a distinction neyween Hinduism and Hindutva, Tharoor said: "We are not offering a watered-down version of the BJP's political messaging: Rahul Gandhi has made it explicitly clear that, for all his avowing his personal Hinduism by going to temples, he does not support any form of Hindutva, neither soft nor hard."