Satish Jarkiholi defends his 'word Hindu is Persian' statement, rules out apology
says he will resign if proven wrong
Belagavi/Udupi, Nov 8: Unfazed over the widespread criticism for his remarks on the origin and the meaning of the word 'Hindu,' Karnataka Congress Working President Satish Jarkiholi on Tuesday said he was only referring to what has been written and published.
Jarkiholi received backlash for his comments that the word 'Hindu' derived from Persian and had a 'dirty' meaning, with his own party pulling him up for his remarks.
On Tuesday, defending himself and ruling out any apology, the former Minister said he wants a debate on the issue and if proved wrong, would resign as a legislator.
"What I have said, 90 percent of people have probably not heard it completely. Just because there is a reference to the word Hindu and as I have said that it has a very dirty meaning, it has been interpreted however they want; there is nothing new in this, and such things have happened many times in the past," Jarkiholi said.
Speaking to reporters here, he reiterated that the word Hindu comes from Persian and there is evidence for it, and said that it has a 'dirty' meaning, referring to a dictionary published in 1963.
"What I have said is not my own, and I have said that let there be a debate, that's my intention, but people interpret it however they want, I can't do much about it. I'm ready for discussion with evidence...if someone proves me wrong, I will resign as MLA," he added.
Questioning as to why he should apologise, the Yamakanmardi legislator said whatever he has said are not his statements but those that had been written and published.
"In fact, those pointing fingers at me should have seen and rectified it. I have done what they should have done, they should be thankful to me," he said adding that he is being unnecessarily targeted by a system including "Manuwadis".
Jarkiholi while speaking at Nippani in Belagavi district during an event organised by "Manav Bandhutva Vedike' on Sunday claimed that the word 'Hindu' is Persian and has a very dirty meaning.
He also had said that a word and a religion from elsewhere is being forcefully imposed on people here, and demanded that there should be a proper debate in this regard.
Reacting to this, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday had said the statement attributed to Satish Jarkiholi is 'deeply unfortunate' and deserves to be rejected.
"We condemn it unequivocally.....Hinduism is a way of life and a civilisational reality. Congress built our nation to respect every religion, belief and faith. This is the essence of India," he said in a tweet.
To a question on Congress too, condemning his statement, Jarkiholi said party leaders should have reacted naturally, without having seen what he has actually said.
"Surjewala has condemned it, I have no objections to it, he is a higher authority than me," he said in response to a question, adding that the AICC General Secretary even spoke to him and sought clarification.
"There is no question of apologising, let the Chief Minister form a committee to find the truth in what I have said, if proved wrong, will resign, no apology," he added.
Congress Legislature Party Leader Siaddarmaaiah, not willing to say much, said, "Our national General Secretary Surjewala has reacted, that's my stand."
State Congress President D K Shivakumar, rejecting Jarkiholi's statement calling it his personal, said he will seek clarification.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accusing Jarkiholi of trying to vitiate the atmosphere in society through such statements said, his statement has hurt the sentiments of people of this country.
The Congress party is indulging in appeasement politics with such statements just for the sake of votes, he said, as he called Jarkiholi's words as half baked statements without any in-depth study.
"By doing this, the Congress leaders are trying to disturb the very foundation of belief of every Indian. Creating problems within any country amounts to the act of anti-nationalism. Everyone must condemn such acts. But, the Congress Party has been acting as if it is supporting such a statement," he told reporters in the district headquarters town of Udupi.
Several BJP leaders including B S Yediyurappa and Ministers in Bommai's cabinet have hit out at Jarkiholi and Congress party for the "anti Hindu statement".
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Israel detains director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals, Palestinians say
Deir al-Balah, Dec 28: Israel's army detained the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals as overnight strikes in the territory killed nine people, including children, Palestinian medical officials said Saturday.
Gaza's Health Ministry said Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested by Israeli forces Friday along with dozens of other staff and taken to an interrogation centre. The ministry said Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather, according to the ministry.
Israel's army didn't respond to questions about the director. On Friday, it denied it had entered or set fire to the hospital complex but acknowledged it had ordered people outside, and said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and its members in the area.
The military repeated claims that Hamas group operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that.
The hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive in largely isolated northern Gaza against Hamas fighters it says have regrouped. The health ministry said a strike on the hospital earlier this week killed five medical personnel.
MedGlobal, the humanitarian organisation for which Abu Safiya worked, said Friday it was gravely concerned about him. It said the incident follows the October detention of five other staff, calling it an “alarming and egregious pattern of targeting medical personnel and spaces.”
Israel's nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and ground offensives has devastated Gaza's health sector. The World Health Organisation has said the raid on Kamal Adwan has put northern Gaza's last major health facility “out of service" after growing restrictions on access, adding that “this horror must end and health care must be protected.”
The Health Ministry said conditions for Kamal Adwan patients who were relocated to the damaged Indonesian Hospital nearby — also raided in the past — were “extremely difficult.”
The war has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Since October, Israel's offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the groups Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which they killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Some 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead.
Israel continued attacks across Gaza on Saturday. An overnight strike killed at least nine people in Maghazi, including women and children, according to staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital where they were taken and an Associated Press reporter who saw the bodies.
Men cried as the bodies, wrapped in bloodied white plastic, lay on the floor of the morgue.
The Health Ministry said Saturday that 48 people had been killed in the past 24 hours by Israeli fire.
Meanwhile, Israel said its troops had begun operating in the northern city of Beit Hanoun, citing intelligence that fighters and Hamas infrastructure were in the area.
Strikes also continued in Israel. Air raid sirens sounded early Saturday and the military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Israeli warplanes bombed key infrastructure in Yemen again on Thursday. The Houthis also have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and say they won't stop until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.
