New Delhi: Amid a controversy over his remarks surrounding ‘Hindutva’, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday cited the late Veer Savarkar, while remarking that “Hindutva is not Sanatan Dharma”.
Digvijaya Singh on Thursday had triggered a controversy by saying: “Spreading hatred is Hindutva which is done by the RSS and VHP who consider Veer Savarkar as their leader.”
Speaking to reporters here, the senior Congress leader questioned whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) believe in Sanatan Dharma or not.
“Hindutva is not Sanatan Dharma. Savarkar himself said this, and he was the first to use the term ‘Hindutva’,” he claimed.
Digvijaya Singh also said: “I have always maintained that our religion is Sanatan Dharma, which has existed in this country for thousands of years. Whenever a religious event is held, what slogans do we raise? ‘May good triumph over evil (Dharm ki jay ho, adharm ka naash ho), may there be goodwill among all living beings, and may the world prosper’.”
“This is our Sanatan Dharma, which these people do not believe in. They consider Hindutva to be Sanatan Dharma. How can we accept that?” he added.
This comes after the Congress leader launched an attack on the BJP, earlier on Friday, over its interpretation of Hindutva, claiming that the ideology promotes hatred rather than Hinduism and has no connection with Sanatan Dharma.
“…They (BJP) started talking about Sanatan Dharma only after I raised this topic of Sanatan Dharma. Their religion is Hindutva, not Sanatan. Hindutva spreads hatred, not Hindu. Savarkar himself said that Hindutva has no connection with religion,” Digvijaya Singh said.
He added that Sanatan Dharma stands for respecting all religions and working for the welfare of the entire world. In contrast, he accused organisations such as the RSS and the VHP of following an ideology that, according to him, promotes hatred.
Digvijaya Singh also alleged that the BJP began invoking Sanatan Dharma only after he raised the issue, asserting that the party’s ideological understanding was rooted in Hindutva rather than the broader philosophy of Sanatan Dharma.
(IANS)
