Bengaluru, July 1 (IANS) Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of working against the ideals of the Indian Constitution, secularism and democracy, while demanding explanations over alleged meetings between senior RSS leader Ram Madhav and Pakistani officials.
The statements are likely to stir a controversy.
Speaking at a seminar held at the Bharat Jodo Bhavan in Bengaluru, Hariprasad said India’s freedom was achieved through immense sacrifices and that the country’s democratic framework was built by the nation’s freedom fighters.
Turning his attention to upcoming elections in Bengaluru, the State Congress President alleged that Ram Madhav had been assigned responsibility for the city by the RSS.
He claimed that Ram Madhav had held meetings in Colombo and London and had allegedly met a former Major General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
“He (Ram Madhav) must answer who authorised him to hold secret meetings with Pakistani representatives. He is neither the External Affairs Minister, nor an MLA, nor an MP. Who authorised an RSS pracharak to conduct such meetings abroad?” Hariprasad asked.
The State Congress President also referred to remarks allegedly made by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat supporting dialogue with Pakistan, saying that when he had made similar observations in the past, he was criticised for two years.
Commenting on Operation Sindoor, Hariprasad accused the BJP-led Central government of misleading the public.
“The Union government initially claimed that no Indian soldiers had been killed during Operation Sindoor. But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently paid tribute to six soldiers who lost their lives. This shows how many lies are being told. Even after two months, the Union government has not transparently disclosed the names of the soldiers who were martyred,” he alleged.
Hariprasad said the Congress had maintained during its tenure at the Centre that there would be no dialogue with Pakistan until terrorism was eliminated.
He also alleged that the BJP raises issues such as Pakistan, chicken, mutton, halal, hijab and mangalsutra only during elections.
Posing a series of questions to Ram Madhav, Hariprasad asked who had authorised him to hold meetings with Pakistani representatives, why the public had not been informed about the alleged meetings, and why details regarding soldiers killed during Operation Sindoor had allegedly been withheld.
“We must ask these questions and create awareness among the people,” he said.
“Our forefathers fought hard to secure Independence and gave us a democratic system. After Independence, several princely states initially refused to join the Indian Union and wanted to remain Independent. They were eventually persuaded to merge with India, while Hyderabad joined the Union a year later,” he added.
Hariprasad recalled that when India’s first Budget was presented in 1952 under the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, it stood at around Rs 400 crore, while the interim government in 1947 had a Budget of Rs 198 crore and the literacy rate was only around 11 per cent.
He claimed that if people understood even a quarter of the true history of India’s freedom struggle, “those wearing khaki shorts and black caps would disappear from villages”, in an apparent reference to the RSS.
“We have no objection to the RSS if it accepts Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of religious harmony, the Constitution of India and the Tricolour. They are not our enemies; they are fellow Indians. But they must accept the Constitution, democracy, secularism and the national flag,” he said.
Hariprasad alleged that those who had opposed the freedom movement before Independence had continued to act against the aspirations of the country even after Independence.
“We cannot allow future generations to inherit an India built on violence, hatred and lies. People must know how many Congress leaders sacrificed their lives for the nation,” he said.
Highlighting India’s post-Independence achievements, Hariprasad credited the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for transforming the country.
“When India became independent, poverty was widespread and nearly 60-70 per cent of the population suffered from hunger. India depended on food imports. Under Nehru and Indira Gandhi, the Green Revolution made India one of the world’s leading rice producers. A country that once imported milk powder from Denmark is now the world’s largest milk producer. India is also among the leading producers of vegetables and ranks third in the space sector. Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the RSS achieve all this?” he asked.
Criticising the BJP, he alleged that the party was “moving in reverse gear” by promoting illiteracy and social divisions.
“The more illiterate people remain, the easier it is to create blind followers and incite caste-based conflicts. Those who end up in jail during communal clashes are Dalits and backward communities. But who looted the Ram temple? Was it Dalits or backward communities? Those who claimed to build the temple are the ones who looted it,” he alleged.
Drawing a historical comparison, Hariprasad said, “We have read that Mahmud of Ghazni looted India 17 times. Apart from him, those who have looted temples are the RSS and the BJP. Yet they preach religion to us.”
Declaring himself a proud Hindu, the State Congress President added that he followed the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Narayana Guru, Kanakadasa and Basavanna.
“I do not follow the version of Hinduism propagated by M.S. Golwalkar, Nathuram Godse or K.B. Hedgewar. Secularism means all religions coexist harmoniously,” he said.
Hariprasad said India’s diversity was unparalleled, pointing to the country’s multiple religions and languages.
“They (RSS and BJP) are trying to destroy this diversity through ideas such as one nation, one education, one leader and one religion. Such attempts are aimed at excluding sections of society, but India’s pluralism cannot be destroyed because it is the soul of the nation,” he added.
The seminar was attended by KPCC Campaign Committee Chairman Vinay Kumar Sorake, former Minister Rani Satish, Kimmane Ratnakar, Shivanna, former MP L. Hanumanthaiah and several other Congress leaders.
–IANS
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