Bangalore:
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramiah, sparked controversy on Monday with his remark that he is not anti-Hindu but anti-Hindutva as Hindutva is for murder, violence and discrimination according to him.
Speaking in Kalaburagi at the launch of a book – a biopic of former Congress MLA BR Patil, Mr Siddaramiah said, “Hindutva is against the constitution. Hindutva and Hindu dharma are different. I am not against the Hindu religion. I am a Hindu but oppose Manuvad and Hindutva.”
“No religion supports murder and violence, but Hindutva and Manuvad support murder, violence and discrimination,” he added.
It is not the first time that the minister has caused controversy with his comments about Hindutva. Earlier on January 8, he claimed to be a Hindu but opposed Hindutva. At the same event, he also said that he was never against Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but against using it for political gain.
On Saturday, Mr Siddaramiah also launched an attack on Karnataka Livestock Minister Prabhu Chauhan, calling him a ‘fool’ who cannot distinguish a goat from a cow.
Mr Siddaramiah took to social media and posted a series of tweets denouncing the state minister of Animal Husbandry and the functioning of the state government. “This minister is not fluent in any language, including Kannada. Such people are unfit to be MLAs,” he wrote in Kannada.
The minister lashed out at the BJP, saying, “The BJP leaders paid Rs 15 to 20 crores to each MLA and formed the government headed by Yeddyurappa through ‘Operation Kamala’.”
“In 2013, we fulfilled 158 of 165 promises and launched 30 new programs. The BJP made 600 promises in 2018, of which 50 to 60 were not fulfilled,” said the minister.
Siddaramiah said that by imposing an 18 percent tax on pens, pencils, books and yogurt, the government has placed a heavier burden on the common man.
However, he added that Congress has decided to give every homeowner Rs 20.00 per month and 200 units of electricity per month for free.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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