Gandhi’s freedom struggle a ‘staged drama’ with British consent: BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde

"Some people keep saying we got independence because someone sat on satyagraha. The British gave independence out of sheer frustration. On reading history books, my blood boils. Such people are termed ‘Mahatma’ in our country," Anantkumar Hegde said.




Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde stirred controversy yet again as he termed the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a ‘staged drama.’

Addressing a public event in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada in Karnataka said, “Some people keep saying we got independence because someone sat on satyagraha. The British gave independence out of sheer frustration. On reading history books, my blood boils. Such people are termed ‘Mahatma’ in our country.”

Hegde, prone to outrageous comments, further alleged that the freedom movement was “one big drama.” He said, “None of these ‘leaders’ were beaten up by the cops even once. The freedom movement by itself was one big drama. It was staged with the approval of the British.”

In a speech titled ‘Savarkar – today’s political relevance,’ he said, “India is the only nation were sacred scriptures and weapons are looked up to in a balanced manner. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is the personified version of this belief. He upheld this belief for the nation’s well-being.”

Distancing itself from Hegde’s remarks, the BJP Karnataka said the MP’s remarks would not be supported. “We respect Mahatma Gandhi and will not support these cheap remarks,” G Madhusudhan, BJP Karnataka spokesperson said.

Calling the BJP leader “ill-informed” about the basics of freedom struggle, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “There is no need for people to learn about patriotism from people like him who revere Godse and Savarkar.”

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “One should not forget that India secured independence from colonial rule through non-violence, unlike many others. There is no need for people to learn about patriotism from people like him who revere Godse and Savarkar.”

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee media chief V S Ugrappa demanded that Hegde should be jailed for making “unconstitutional and derogatory remarks.” He said, “He (Hegde) might have lost his mental balance. If the government in the state and at the center is intact, it is high time they sent Anantkumar Hegde to prison for making derogatory remarks against the Constitution and democracy. By insulting Mahatma Gandhi he has insulted the entire nation.”

Former Karnataka minister and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge wrote on Twitter that he felt “ashamed” for a person like Hegde hailing from his state. “I am ashamed that this man is from my glorious & progressive state. It is so unbecoming of an elected representative & former union cabinet minister to speak like this. How does BJP endorse such people? I am more surprised that people elect him too. Perils of democracy.”

Infamous for his controversial statements, the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha MP had asked former Karnataka IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil “to go to Pakistan” calling his resignation an “act of arrogance.”

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