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DON’T BE ANTI-HINDU while hating India: this was the message given by Mahesh Kumar Hasija, one of the few Hindu lawmakers in Pakistan. While he continued with his anti-India agenda, he simultaneously drew stark distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva ideology. 

Hasija is the Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) of Sindh. In his May 16, 2026 address in the Pakistan Parliament on the occasion of Youm-e-tashakur — a national day of gratitude to commemorate the success of two military conflicts between India and Pakistan — the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader said that “Whenever they say anything anti-India, keep it to the state and don’t involve Hinduism in that,” further adding that there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.

In his address, he also highlighted how Karachi Bakery in India was vandalized after the attack due to its name resembling the Pakistani city. On the other hand, Pakistan never did anything to shops with Indian place names like The Bombay Bakery,  Delhi chat etc. He also claimed that Pakistan never harmed any temples or shops.

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However, the data paints a different picture. After Independence, according to census data, West Pakistan had roughly 15% of its population as Hindus, which changed drastically. The Hindu population in the country has now dropped to between 1.6% and 2.2%, which is around 4 to 5 million people. 

How Hinduism is Different From RSS's Concept of Hindutva

Mahesh Kumar claims that the concept of Hindutva, which Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has come up with through his organization RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), is not based on Hinduism. He said he wants to clearly make everyone understand, “Hinduism talks about devotion, Karma, inclusivity. However, the hindutva of RSS talks about exclusivity and focuses especially on a particular sect and ideology.”

Hence, he said that we need to understand the difference and mention them separately, he further explained it through examples of other religions. He pointed out how Islam has no connection to extremism, contrary to what some people believe, and how Judaism has no connection to Zionism. Similarly, Hindutva and Hinduism are different. He said, “The Hinduism which Ram created was not this.”

Hasija added that first an RSS worker killed Gandhi and now another one is killing the anti-violence principles of Gandhi. According to him India has become “Modi-fied” and extremist and the type of radicalization that Pakistan experienced in the 80s is what India is becoming now. He acknowledged that his country is still suffering because of the radicalization of that time and India will also suffer because of this.

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Hasija Continues His Anti-India Rhetoric

Hasija then glorified Pakistan’s effort during the war, praising how they handled the war with India and became an example for the world. He further made the baseless allegations against Indian authorities, saying, “I want to request the Indian people to ask their government how RAW failed in Pahalgam. How did the terrorists penetrate 100km inside the nation? And how did the security lapse? The media is not asking these questions.”

Hasija then started targeting the Indian media, claiming that they have created a circus against Pakistan. He said Indian people should ask these questions to the media and their government, “We’ll see Pakistan later, first you tell us where were you? In that region where the most military is present, how did they come inside and killed 26 people and why are they never caught?”

Then he started praising Pakistan, pointing out how in India “Karanchi Bakeries” were demolished, while there were no such incidents in Pakistan. He said Pakistan has given places to its minorities and treated them equally. Anyone can go to their temples and other places of worship.

He said, “India earlier used to talk about inclusivity and co existence but Pakistan has proved it in international forums.” He further also claimed that all those YouTube channels that portray the soft image of Pakistan are being banned so that people will only see an extremist Pakistan.

Although Hasija's Anti-India remarks should be viewed in the context of his position as a Pakistani lawmaker, his appeal to his peers to respect Hinduism are still relevant. Amid reports of a declining Hindu population and persecution of minorities in Pakistan, the Hindu politician’s demand should be taken seriously by the country and its government.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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