Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday told a Congress event that Hindutva is different from Hindu, in an attempt to draw a line between them, according to reports.
Siddaramaiah’s remarks emphasize the political debate happening currently surrounding the Ram Temple inauguration which is widely seen as the BJP’s trump card in the Lok Sabha polls.
‘Hindutva is Hindutva. I am a Hindu. Hindutva is different and Hindu is different. Don't we worship Ram? Are they (the BJP) the only ones? Haven't we built Ram Mandirs? Don't we sing Ram Bhajans?’ NDTV quoted Siddaramaiah as saying.
Siddaramaiah said he used to take part in bhajans which was a tradition in his village and he asked ‘Aren't we Hindus?’
The BJP's CN Ashwath Narayan accused Siddaramaiah and the Congress of practicing ‘appeasement politics’, adding ‘they have no moral rights to talk about Hindutva’.
Back when he was the leader of the Opposition in February, Siddaramaiah said ‘Hindutva is against the Constitution’, adding that ‘no religion supports murder... but Hindutva supports murder and discrimination’.
‘Hindutva is against the Constitution. Hindutva and Hindu dharma are different. I'm not against the Hindu religion... I am a Hindu but I oppose Manuvad and Hindutva,’ he was quoted as saying at the time.
Again in January, Siddaramaiah repeated that he is against Hindutva while still being a Hindu, and further said that he never opposed the Ram Temple but stood against using it for political gain.