I am a Hindu but oppose Hindutva: Congress leader Siddaramaiah
Hubballi (K'taka), Jan 6: Asserting that he is a Hindu but opposed to Hindutva, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he never opposed Ram Temple in Ayodhya but was against using it for political gain.
He even claimed that he had constructed many Ram temples in the rural areas of Karnataka.
To a question, he said he was never opposed to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Were we ever opposed to the Ram Temple? Our objection is only using the temple for political gain. It should not be used against people of other faith. The BJP is using it for political gain," Siddaramaiah charged.
"I am a Hindu. How can I be anti-Hindu? I am opposed to Hindutva and politics around Hindu faith. All the faiths are equal according to the Indian Constitution," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
He was replying to a query on BJP's charge that he was anti-Hindu. BJP national general secretary C T Ravi had in the past called him 'Siddaramullah Khan', a name accepted by Siddaramaiah as a complement because it endorsed his secular credential.
Siddaramaiah said India has a multi-religious culture where everyone should be taken along and each one should be seen as a human being. That is what the Constitution says and we should abide by it, he said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly said his party is always against those who promote communalism and do caste and religion based politics.
When asked about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's statement questioning the RSS' role in the freedom struggle, Siddaramaiah said no one from the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS took part in India's independence movement.
Siddaramaiah said the RSS came into being in 1925 and Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was the RSS founder and later Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar headed the organisation.
"Did anyone of them or the RSS office bearers take part in the freedom struggle? The freedom struggle was at its peak during that period. Did they participate in the struggle? No. Please tell me that from 1925 to 1947 who all from Hindu Mahasabha or the RSS participated in the freedom struggle?" the Congress leader asked.
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Manmohan Singh left 'big imprint' on country's economy: CM Siddaramaiah
Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on December 26, has left a "big imprint" on the country's economy.
Calling him "the most respected man", the CM recalled Singh as a simple, gentleman and honest politician.
Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.
"Singh's life, in a way, is a miracle. He was born in a small village in today's Pakistan and went on to become one of the country's and the world's renowned economist. He was finance minister in Narasimha Rao cabinet and through liberalisation and privatisation, he opened up the Indian economy and there by resolved the financial crisis that the country was facing," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, in 2004, Sonia Gandhi chose Singh as the prime minister, the responsibility he held for ten years, uplifting the country both economically and socially.
"He is among the honest prime ministers the country has seen. He has left a big imprint on the country's economy. His life and work towards shaping the country's economy is an inspiration to all of us," he added.
Stating that Singh never had intoxication of power, Siddaramaiah said, he was a simple, gentleman and honest politician.
"He was the most respected man. He lived with dignity and respect in politics. Such a person has departed. His death is a big loss for India. I pray to the Almighty that he give strength to Singh's family, friends and well-wishers to bear the loss," he said.
Singh introduced the Food Security Act to ensure that the poor get food grains at a cheaper cost, the CM said, and added that, "after this law was enacted, I brought in a scheme in Karnataka to provide rice at Re 1 to poor, later that was changed to free 5 kg of rice."
"Today, if Narendra Modi-led NDA government is providing 5 kg of free rice to the poor the reason for it is Manmohan Singh. During Singh's tenure as PM he worked keeping in mind poor," he added.
Noting that he shared a good relationship with Singh as he was PM during his first stint as CM, Siddaramaiah said, he had lauded state's economy and government's schemes.
Singh's death was announced on Thursday night by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, where he was admitted in the Emergency ward around 8.30 PM in a critical condition.
