New Delhi: A Residents' Welfare Association in the national capital has written to former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and his daughter Suranya asking them to apologise or move out of the colony over the latter's comments against the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Indian Express has reported that the RWA in Delhi's Jangpura Extension has sent a letter to Mani Shankar and Suranya Aiyar, accusing them of "creating tension and hatred." Suranya had allegedly noted in a Facebook video that she would go on a three-day fast to protest the inauguration of the temple, built where the Babri Masjid – demolished by kar sevaks in 1992 – once stood. It is this move that the RWA has taken exception to.

Across north India, RWAs had been active in getting residents to celebrate the consecration ceremony at the temple on January 22.

Suranya has told the paper that the house is wholly owned by her father, a Congress leader, and that she does not live there.

On Facebook, she wrote: "I am going to try and avoid a media circus as I believe that we all in India deserve better. Let us stop abusing each other and try some thinking instead. Jai Hind!” She has also released two video messages, in Hindi and English, to address reports on mainstream television media over the RWA's note.

Suranya says that she is 49 years old and has lived in this country all her life and that she has worked in different fields – all of which is known to people. "So I hope that this gives everybody an opportunity to think about where we are going, and how we are going and whether we want to become like this," she adds.

In the letter which is signed by RWA president Kapil Kakar, the association has asked the duo to “kindly move out to another colony, where people and RWAs can turn a blind eye to such hatred."

The RWA has also asked Mani Shankar to condemn his daughter’s “act” and called it "hate speech".

“You might take the cover of freedom of speech, but please remember, as per the Supreme Court, freedom of speech cannot be absolute," the RWA also said.

Bharatiya Janata Party 'IT-cell' chief Amit Malviya has posted on X saying that the "terse letter" should "serve as a message for everyone, who think abusing Hindu beliefs is par for the course."

At a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the legality of the RWA's move, calling it a "terrifying" example of "New India".

"I would have dismissed it (the incident) as laughable were it not be tragic," he said to reporters.

"I am only responding because these kind of incidents are tragic. I would never agree with you on a hundred issues. I may not agree with Mr Aiyar or his daughter on a hundred issues. But that is not the issue at all. How can I not allow your right to disagree with me? And what legality and constitutionality is there to ask him to get out of his colony because I don't like what he says? This is terrifying in new India. He has the full right to disagree but can one neighbour tell the other to get out of the house?"

In January, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Centre for Policy Research, which is headed by another one of Mani Shankar's daughters, Yamini Aiyar. Academics and researchers from across the world had criticised the Union government’s actions.

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