india

Updated: Feb 03, 2020 18:04 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi must make his stand clear in Parliament over the comments by its leader Anantkumar Hegde against Mahatma Gandhi, Congress demanded on Monday.

Anantkumar Hegde, known for his controversial statements, had described the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi as “drama” and also questioned as to how “such people” came to be called ‘Mahatma’ in India.

The six-time Lok Sabha member from Uttara Kannada, while addressing a public event in Bengaluru on Saturday, said that the entire freedom movement was “staged with the consent and support of the British”.

“The only way there can be some penance if the Prime Minister and the BJP government are sincere about commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Father of the Nation. This country needs an answer,” Anand Sharma said during a press conference.

“Parliament is in session. We demand that the Prime Minister comes to the House and makes his position clear by tomorrow. As I have said, these feeds on he is unhappy, he is angry, we are not concerned with that,” he said.

The BJP’s leaders must be taken to task for their comments, Sharma demanded.

The senior Congress leader also said that they can understand the reason why senior BJP leaders have been insulting the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.

“They are disparaging the national movement, the freedom struggle because they are the ideological descendants of those who were not only non-participants but actively opposed the freedom, opposed Mahatma Gandhi, opposed the Quit India Movement and supported the British. It’s a fact of history,” he said.

The Rajya Sabha member said that the there is violence “in the very ideology, mindset, thinking and language of the BJP”.

“They are desperate for the elections. Only to get some votes in the Delhi elections, they have inflicted some deep wounds on the very soul of India,” Sharma said.

“It should rein in their leaders, whether they are Yogi Adityanath or ministers, and ask them to control their language,” he demanded.

The Congress leader said that the way its senior ministers and lawmakers are talking its unconstitutional.

He also criticised several shooting incidents, including Sunday’s firing in front of Jamia Millia Islamia, in the Capital, is because of the poison being spread in the society.