Rajiv Pratap Rudy: none willbe allowed to break India

‘Youth must be told that freedom was hard earned’

Karnataka , Mangaluru : 15/08/2016 : Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy speaking at the Independence Day celebrations of BJP at T.V.Ramain Pai Hall, in Mangaluru on 15/08/2016. Photo : H S Manjunath

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Monday said that the country would remain united and no one would be allowed to break it, though there are people raising anti-India slogans. India would stand united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kutch to Assam, he said.

He was speaking at the 70th Independence Day celebrations organised by the Dakshina Kannada district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here. He said that one might wonder why the Minister was not present at the Red Fort when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the nation.

Mr. Rudy said that he was in Kerala on Sunday to felicitate freedom fighters, including K. Madhavan (103) in Kanhangad, the lone survivor of the Guruvayur Satyagraha.

Mr. Madhavan is not a BJP member, but was a leader of a Left party.

“Mr. Madhavan became emotional when I greeted him as it was for the first time that a representative of the Prime Minister had come to salute the freedom fighter,” he said.

Mr. Rudy said that the Prime Minister had specifically told his colleagues to go and salute freedom fighters and if they were not alive now, meet their families. It would be the real celebration of Independence. He said that if India is enjoying freedom, it is only because of people like Mr. Madhavan and thousands of others like him. They brought democracy also to the country.

Mr. Rudy also lauded the contribution of freedom fighters from Karnataka. He said that it is the day to remember people like Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Kadidal Manjappa, K.K. Shetty, Rani Abbakka and others. He came to Karnataka as a representative of the Prime Minister to salute the martyrs and to remind the youth that freedom was hard earned.

Tiranga Yatra

Speaking on the occasion, Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel said that India did not invade any country; but it has influenced the world through its spirituality and knowledge.

While the country suffered under foreign invaders for over 10 centuries, it is the selfless struggle of thousands of people that had brought the country its freedom, he said.

Mr. Kateel said that BJP’s Tiranga Yatra is aimed at evoking the spirit of patriotism and to spread awareness about the sacrifices of freedom fighters among the youth.

District BJP president Sanjeev Matandoor and MLC Ganesh Karnik and other leaders were present.