BENGALURU: Amid a bitter political row over Veer Savarkar in Karnataka, Hindu Sena chief Pramod Muthalik has warned his workers will chop off the hands of those who try to put down the Hindutva ideologue’s posters. “If you touch Savarkar’s poster, we will chop your hands off and throw it away. It’s a warning,” Muthalik, the chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, said.
Reacting to the controversy over Savarkar, Pramode Muthalik said that he and his organisation will make people aware of contributions and nationalist work in every nook and corner of the state. Muthalik also claimed that Savarkar “was not against Muslims, he was against the British.” “Indira Gandhi herself had brought out a stamp and had honoured Savarkar. The Congress party leaders are unaware of such facts and are making senseless statements. We won’t keep quiet if the Congressmen insulted freedom fighters,” he told reporters.
It may be noted that several right-wing organisations in Karnataka have decided to put up posters of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and eminent freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak in many Ganesha Pandals in the state for 10 days starting from Ganesha Chaturthi on August 31.
The saffron units’ move comes in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the putting up of Savarkar pictures in some parts of the state such as Shivamogga and Mangaluru.
“We have decided to put up Veer Savarkar and Tilak’s photos in at least 15,000 places across the state. We want to make it a movement to pay tribute to these two iconic freedom fighters,” Pramod Muthalik said.
According to him, some BJP MLAs are also joining the movement, especially in Belagavi. Reacting to a row over Opposition leader Siddaramaiah allegedly entering a temple in Kodagu after consuming non-vegetarian food, Muthalik argued that there is “nothing wrong” with it.
“There is nothing wrong in consuming non-veg and visiting temples. BJP leaders must discuss Veer Savarkar instead of raking up such issues,” Pramod Muthalik, founder of Sri Ram Sena, said on Monday.