Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that it was Congress which fought for the freedom of the country and sought to know why those who were now portraying themselves as patriots did not fight against the British.
He was addressing a gathering after inuaugrating the Sangolli Rayanna festival organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture at Sangolli village in Bailhongal taluk of Belagavi district on Wednesday,
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that by employing the ‘divide and rule policy’, the British, French and Mughals ruled the country. “Sangolli Rayanna fought fiercely against the British. However, it was own people who betrayed Rayanna and handed him over to the British. While Rayanna stands for patriotism, those who betrayed Rayanna were traitors,” he said.
The CM said that patriotism meant loving the people of the country and those who hated the people in the name of caste and religion cannot be patriotic. Social reformer Basavanna and the architect of Constitution B.R. Ambedkar advocated love for humanity sans discrimination, he said.
He said that farmers, teachers, soldiers were guarding the country from inside and outside and a farmer who cultivated paddy was also like a soldier. People who spread hatred towards other human beings and those who gave a call for demolition of mosques were still there and one should not applaud them. Instead one should applaud the sacrifice of the likes of Sangolli Rayanna, he stressed.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that it was a coincidence that Sangolli Rayanna was born on August 15, the day India got Independence and was martyred on January 26, Republic Day. Elaborating on the Sangolli Rayanna Area Development Authority formed during his previous tenure as CM, he listed various development works. He said he was happy that 250 children were now getting education in the Sainik School established at Sangolli and promised further grants to Sangolli.
MLA Mahantesh Kaujalagi presided over the function held in the presence of Sri Gurulinga Shivacharya Mahaswamy, Sri Madiwala Rajayogindra Mahaswamy and Sri Niranjananandpuri Mahaswamy. Ministers Satish Jarakiholi, Bairati Suresh, Shivaraj Tangadagi, MLAs H.Y.Meti, Ashok Pattan, former Minister H.M.Revanna, Former MLA Anjali NImbalkar , Prakash Hukkeri and others participated in the event.
