The Bharatiya Janata Party’s top leadership has asked its parliamentarian Anant Kumar Hegde to tender an unconditional apology over his earlier remarks attacking Mahatma Gandhi.
BJP sources told India TV that Hegde, a former union minister and the MP from Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada constituency, was told in strictest terms that any inappropriate remarks on Gandhi won’t be tolerated.
Hegde had controversially questioned the freedom movement led by the Father of the nation, and described India's independence struggle as an "adjustment" with the then British rulers.
Freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that it attained independence through 'Upavas Satyagrah', Gandhi's preferred mode of agitation, and became Mahapurush (great person), was quoted as saying in media reports.
In his address in Kannada, the MP said: "There were two types of freedom fighters, one which believed in Shastra (arms) and another in Shaastra (intellectual motivators). There was also another category of freedom fighters which used to ask the British how to carry out the freedom struggle," Hegde said at the event to remember VD Savarkar.
"We will abide by whatever you say simply adjustment and understanding.... like 20-20 (cricket match)," the Uttara Kannada MP said about the freedom movement. Hegde alleged that the third category of freedom fighters had pleaded with the British to recognise their freedom struggle and requested that they be imprisoned.
"They (pleaded with the British) It's enough if you properly take care of us, nothing more than that." Freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that India attained independence through 'Upavas Satyagrah', he said, adding that the British were 'frightened' and gifted the nation freedom. "Such people became Mahapurush (great people) Those who sacrificed their lives and worked towards big change in the country were dumped in the dark corners of history, but those who fought in adjustment with the British became freedom fighters with certificate.....
This is the tragedy of the country," Hegde, known for his past controversial remarks on issues like secularism, said.
(Reporting inputs by Devendra P)
(with PTI inputs)
