Training his guns on the RSS, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday sought to highlight the opposition harboured by the leaders of right-wing organisation towards the national tricolour.
Speaking ahead of the launch of a padayatra at Tagadur in Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru district to mark 75 years of India’s independence, Mr Siddaramaiah also questioned the contribution of RSS to the freedom struggle.
He pointed out that RSS leader V D Savarkar not only wrote mercy petitions to the then British Government, but also said that the tricolour should never be approved as the country’s national flag. Similiarly, another RSS leader Golwarkar had opposed the tricolour claiming that its choice was not based on nationalistic thought. RSS mouth-piece Organiser too had said that the tricolour should not be respected, Mr Siddaramaiah claimed.
When such was the stand of the RSS leaders, Mr Siddaramaiah wondered how Prime Minister Narendra Modi could promote the national flag now with the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign. “The RSS did not fly the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years. It was flying the bhagwa dhwaja”, he said.
Role of Congress in freedom struggle
Contending that the Sangh Parivar can never be in favour of the country, Mr Siddaramaiah said it was the Congress party that not only participated in the country’s freedom struggle, but also gave the country its national flag, the national anthem and the Constitution.
He said the 75 years of Indian Independence was an occasion to remember the sacrifices of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, who had visited Tagadur, which is also the native of freedom fighter Tagadur Ramachandra Rao. “Had it not been for people like Mahatma Gandhi, the British would have ruled India for another 200 years and ruined the country,” he said.
Mr Siddaramaiah also asked the people to read RSS: Aala Mattu Agala authored by writer Devanur Mahadeva, which he described as a factual representation of the organisation.
Tricolour profile picture
AICC Observer Rosie John, who also participated in the function, said RSS leaders including its top leaders had not changed the profile picture on their social media accounts even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an appeal in this regard. “They are all fake nationalists. They never accepted the tricolour and never hoisted it. Now, they are trying to pretend to be champions of freedom movement,” he said.
KPCC Working President R Dhruvanarayan and former Minister H C Mahadevappa were among the leaders, who attended the programme.
