Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faced the wrath of BJP Yuva Morcha workers in Kodagu over his recent remarks on Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar during his visit to flood-affected sites in the district on Thursday.
The BJP workers waved black flags at Mr. Siddaramaiah and shouted slogans, displaying the portraits of Savarkar. There were attempts to gherao his vehicle but the police foiled the bid. However, the workers managed to get past the police cordon and one of them threw a poster through the car’s window asking Mr. Siddaramaiah to ‘’go back.’’ Some worker pelted eggs at the vehicle.
The immediate trigger for the protest was Mr. Siddaramaiah’s recent criticism of Savarkar and his politics. Mr. Siddaramaiah had remarked that Savarkar had written mercy petition to the British seeking pardon and release from imprisonment and had made little contribution to the freedom struggle.
‘Act of cowardice’
Later in the day, Mr. Siddaramaiah lashed out saying it was a cowardly act to divert public attention from absence of governance. Speaking to mediapersons, he said: ‘’The BJP has failed on all fronts and neither is there a government in the State nor is there a semblance of governance.”
‘’The BJP is perturbed that the Congress is set to win both the Assembly segments in the next elections and hence, was desperate to prevent me from touring in Kodagu,” he added.
In a statement released in Bengaluru, Mr. Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP for propping up fake patriots with reference to Savarkar and said that it (BJP) was out to distort history. The BJP ideology clashes with that of true nationalists and patriots such as Bhagat Singh or the values propagated by Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and hence it has stopped appropriating them, said Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The government has issued advertisements in the media using taxpayers money, but it has dropped the name of Jawaharlal Nehru - who not only fought for freedom but laid the foundation stone for a modern India – from the list of freedom fighters name, chided Mr. Siddaramaiah.
He also alleged that Savarkar, who was being propped up as a freedom fighter by the BJP, espoused caste supremacy rooted in the tenets of Manu and there was no comparison with nationalist and humanist Bhagat Singh who valiantly faced the gallows. Mr. Siddaramaiah said people of the country should gleam through the pages of history to ascertain the truth failing which history would be distorted.
He also warned that if the youth of the country did not awaken, then the country will have to brace for another freedom struggle. The BJP was weakening the nation’s economy and was diverting the people’s attention to mask its lapses, said Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The incident has attracted criticism from the ruling party and the Chief Minister as well.
CM condemns
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said any difference of opinion has to be made through strong arguments and urged that no one resort to any such physical attack, that too against the Leader of Opposition of the State.
Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa condemned the act of throwing eggs at the car and said the party will not tolerate any such acts of vandalism. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the department would ensure suitable security to the Leader of the Opposition across the State.
Meanwhile, JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy also condemned the attack. “No political party should create an atmosphere like this. This attack does not bring honour to the party,” he said.
