Hindu body office bearer says BJP ‘using’ Savarkar for ‘political gains’

BJP want Savarkar and his portrait to fight the upcoming assembly elections, the official said

The Karnataka general secretary of Akhil Bharath Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) Dharmendra accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using the ABHM founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s name for political gains.

The state general secretary of ABHM said if the BJP believed in Savarkar, and wanted to honour him, then they should make Savarkar’s birth anniversary a national festival. He wanted to know why the BJP failed to remember Savarkar, when Tipu Jayanthi was observed in the state.

The ABHM also condemned BJP’s use of Savarkar’s name for political gain because the party failed the state “on all fronts”. “As a last resort to retain power in Karnataka, the BJP is remembering Savarkar when the assembly elections are nearing,” Dharmendra said.

Also read | BJP extols Savarkar amid Hindutva push in Karnataka

“The state BJP has no morality to utter the name of Savarkar. He had not organised people in the name of caste. He had only propagated the religion. Both the Congress and the BJP are engaged in dividing the religion. The BJP leaders should introspect first,” the ABHM office-bearer said, not sparing Congress in the state.

Dharmendra alleged that the BJP leaders did not want the Hindu “maha sabha” that was started by Savarkar along with his concept of “Akhanda Bharata.” “They want Savarkar and his portrait to fight the upcoming assembly elections,” he said.

He called Congress leader Siddaramaiah a “coward” because the senior leader was frightened by the egging of his car, despite him having “so much security”. Dharmendra also announced that the ABHM would soon be filing a case against Siddaramaiah for speaking ill of Veer Savarkar.

Dharmendra also used the momentum to urge the Union government to release a comprehensive list of revolutionaries who fought for India’s freedom. “There is a need to bring in law to punish those who speak against freedom fighters,” he said.

The ABHM official was also critical of the BJP and Siddaramaiah levelling allegations against each other. He said there was unnecessary controversy over consumption of non-vegetarian food. “Does the BJP have no other issues than to discuss non-vegetarian meals consumed by Siddaramaiah?” he said, wanting to know if BJP leaders never visited temples after consuming non-vegetarian meals?.

He, however, also clarified that he was not “justifying the act of Siddaramaiah”.

Dharmendra also clarified ABHM’s use of Savarkar’s portraits in upcoming Ganeshi Chaturthi celebrations. He said that ABHM observed the Ganesha festival installing idols of Ganpati at 13 places across the state, including Bhadravathi, Ranebennur, Bengaluru and Udupi. “Wherever possible, we will use the portrait of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Savarkar in the Ganesha pandals,” he said.