The portrait of Hindutva icon V.D. Savarkar was unveiled in the Karnataka Assembly at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Monday, triggering protests by Congress leaders who demanded the portraits of other icons also be included to uphold "social justice".
Karnataka Assembly speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, along with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, unveiled six other portraits, including Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekananda and Basavanna just before the 10-day winter session of the Karnataka Legislature commenced in the state's second capital.
However, the Congress leader alleged they were kept in the dark about the unveiling of Savarkar's portrait by the BJP government.
While the saffron party is seen as playing the Hindutva card ahead of the 2023 elections, Congress opposed the move by seeking "social justice" and demanded that historical and cultural icons belonging to different communities be honoured by the BJP government.
The Congress leaders led by CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar sat on a dharna outside the Assembly flaunting portraits of icons including Maharishi Valmiki (Scheduled Tribe), Narayana Guru (Ediga), Kanakadasa (Kuruba), Kuvempu (Vokkaliga), Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru and Babu Jagjivan Ram.
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar and others stage a protest after a portrait of Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar was unveiled during Winter Session of Karnataka Assembly, at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, Monday |
PTI
"Veer Savarkar is a controversial figure and his portrait was not put up till now and there is no need to unveil it now. It will stir up controversy and it is not good," said Siddaramaiah.
Shivakumar went all out to question the BJP's Hindu credentials saying, "We are Hindus since birth and will remain a Hindu till death. We follow the Hindu way of life, unlike the BJP which follows fake Hindutva. We demand the government to unveil the portrait of the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Nehru, Shishunala Sharief, Basavanna, Narayana Guru, Kanakadasa, Dr Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Maharishi Valmiki, Sardar Patel, Kuvempu and other visionaries from this region as we believe in social justice."
The Kanakapura MLA also claimed that he was not aware of Savarkar's portrait being unveiled though the speaker had invited him to the ceremony the previous day. "How is Savarkar related to Karnataka? I came to know about Savarkar's portrait being included only through the media," added Shivakumar.
Former minister and Congress MLA M.B. Patil opposed Savarkar's portrait in the Assembly and sought to know why the government should not consider putting up the portraits of local heroes like Kittur Rani Chennnamma, Onake Obbavva or Sangolli Rayanna.
Karnataka BJP took to Twitter to slam the Congress leaders for opposing Sarvarkar's portrait. "DK Shivakumar who is busy appeasing a community considers Tipu Sultan and Shariq as God but not Savarkar, who gave the Patita Paavan mandir to Dalits. Savarkar was loved by many including Gandhiji. In fact, Indira Gandhi released a postal stamp in his honour and gave funds to make a documentary on him. People who praise an outsider Tipu Sultan and hate a patriot like Savarkar are either anti-nationals or mentally ill," tweeted BJP.
