Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said Mahatma Gandhi was a diehard Hindu and the Congress believes in "Gandhi's Hindutva".

BJP always projected Mahatma Gandhi as 'anti-Hindu' but one must understand that it is 100 per cent false, Siddaramaiah said at the inauguration of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, top Congress functionaries such as K C Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala Congress ministers, MPs and legislators participated in the event.

The event was organised to commemorate the centenary of the lone Congress session in which Mahatma Gandhi had chaired as the Congress president way back in 1924.

The Chief Minister said, "Mahatma Gandhi used to utter the name of Lord Rama, always. When Nathuram Godse assassinated him, he uttered 'Hey Ram'. There cannot be a better example of it. He was a diehard Hindu."

According to him, Gandhi was never against Hindu faith but he wished to bring reform in Hinduism. He always wanted to see Hindus and Muslims live like brothers.

Gandhi did not limit himself to the freedom struggle but gave guidelines on governance and explained how the ministers should conduct themselves, Siddaramaiah explained.

"We believe in Mahatma Gandhi's Hindutva and they (BJP) believe in dividing the society. They are 'Manuvadis'. We believe in the Indian constitution and BJP goes against the Congress ideology. So we must protect the constitution and save democracy. If we protect the constitution, then it would protect us," the Chief Minister said.

Siddaramaiah also charged that the BJP attempted for the past many years to weaken the constitution.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said there would have been anarchy in the country if there was no constitution in the country.

"This is the reason that these days people remember Gandhiji and appreciate him. People hail him for his work, his sacrifices and contributions," he said.

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Beed (PTI): Police in Maharashtra’s Beed district have banned 11 habitual offenders involved in the illegal sale of liquor from entering a few areas in view of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, an official said on Sunday.

These individuals have been barred from entering the jurisdiction of Pethbeed police station and the broader Beed tehsil during Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, he said.

Following a review of the security situation, an official order was passed to restrict the movement of 11 on-record criminals to prevent any untoward incidents or disruption of peace during the festivities, police said.

The alleged bootleggers have been served with notices, warning that they will face stringent legal action if they are found within the prohibited jurisdiction during the specified period, the official added.