Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has ignited a political controversy by describing Hindutva as "Hinduism in paranoia" during a debate in Kolkata. He distinguished Hindutva as a political ideology from Hinduism as a spiritual tradition, arguing the former fosters fear. The BJP responded by accusing Aiyar of insulting Sanatan Dharma and attempting to divide Hindus, with some BJP leaders asserting that Hindutva represents the core essence of Hinduism.