BJP playing ‘corporate Hindutva’ game by selling names of deities and icons: Congress

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress on Saturday alleged that the BJP’s brand of Hindutva had become “corporate and profit-driven”, with sacred names and national icons being “sold for money” and political gains.

Referring to Mumbai Metro stations, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that the BJP’s “corporate Hindutva” had reduced deities and national figures to marketing tools.

Sawant said in a press conference that several Metro stations in the city have been renamed after corporate entities, including Kotak Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, ICICI Lombard Siddhivinayak, HDFC Life Mahalaxmi, and Nippon India MF Acharya Atre.

“Those who invoke Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s name in every speech must clarify if they approve of prefixing his name with a corporate brand,” Sawant said, demanding a response from the ruling BJP, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

He said the BJP was diverting public attention from issues such as unemployment, inflation and farmers’ problems through name-change politics.

Sawant alleged that the BJP had removed the names of national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sanjay Gandhi from public institutions while renaming others for corporate sponsorships. They have shown their intolerance towards India’s first Prime Minister and other Congress icons,” he said.

“After airports and ports, even religious and heritage sites are being auctioned to corporates. This exposes the BJP’s hypocrisy -- a party that speaks of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ but sells sacred names for money,” he said.

The Congress leader said the government might soon seek sponsors for Kalbadevi and Sitladevi stations, both on the newly launched Metro-3, or Aqua Line, as well. “BJP’s so-called Hindutva ends where corporate interest begins,” he said.

“This is not development but sale of our culture, faith and self-respect,” he said, and added, “The people of Maharashtra would not tolerate the insult of national icons and religious figures.”