Modi's BJP and RSS admire Hitler, says American actor

Tulsi Gabbard, the 2020 presidential candidate, is facing severe backlash for wearing a scarf with the logo of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during an event.

As she spoke at a New Hampshire town hall recently, the Democrat was asked by an audience member about whether she had financially supported the BJP.

"Somebody put something around my neck and snapped a picture without my knowing what it was," she said of the BJP scarf.

The Hindu lawmaker, who has faced criticism in the past for attending events hosted by the Overseas Friends of the BJP over the pro-Hindu nationalist views of India's current ruling political party, said, “Any implication or accusation or efforts to elicit some kind of suspicion about me or my motives can only be attributed to religious bigotry because I'm a practicing Hindu."

Social media users seem to have refused to accept the justification she has offered and have called her out on Twitter for wearing the BJP scarf.

American actor John Cusack was also among the thousands of users who found her excuse to be lame.

The actor said instead of asking Gabbard about her support to BJP, she should have been asked to publicly denounce Modi and RSS.

The actor known for his role in the film “2012”, said BJP and RSS admire Hitler and try to emulate the former German leader.

"Should be easy enough to ask her publicly denounce modi - rss - they admire hitler after all - and try to emulate his world view," he said.