Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday renewed his criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the party follows Hindutva rather than Sanatan Dharma. He claimed that Hindutva spreads hatred and does not represent Hinduism.
Singh made the remarks while interacting with the media in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district on November 6 during his ‘Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra’. The Congress leader is undertaking the journey from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
He alleged that the BJP began speaking about Sanatan Dharma only after he raised the issue. According to Singh, Sanatan Dharma stands for respecting all religions and working for the welfare of the entire world.
He also accused organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) of following an ideology that promotes hatred. Referring to Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Singh claimed that Savarkar himself had said Hindutva had no connection with religion.
Congress leader Udit Raj also criticised the BJP and RSS over their interpretation of Hindutva. Referring to Savarkar’s definition involving the concepts of ‘Punyabhoomi’ and ‘Janmabhoomi’, Raj argued that such ideas create divisions among people.
Raj also referred to the contribution of different communities to India’s freedom struggle and accused the BJP and RSS of promoting divisive politics in the name of Hindutva.
The remarks have triggered renewed political debate over the distinction between Hindutva and Sanatan Dharma.
