Mangaluru: Commenting on the Veer Savarkar Bharat Ratna row, MP and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said that those who suspect the patriotism of freedom fighters like Savarkar and Subhas Chandra Bose, cannot be true patriots, but traitors of the country.
He was addressing the gathering during the valedictory programme of the Sankalpa Yatra, organised as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi by the district unit of the BJP on Sunday, October 20.
“Those who intend to come to power are abusing freedom fighters. The BJP respects Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to our country. Meanwhile, we also recall the contribution of revolutionaries to our country,” he said.
Stating that he did not want to comment on who should be given the Bharata Ratna award, he added, “All those who participated in the freedom struggle are ‘Bharat Ratnas’. Those who question the BJP government regarding their selection of awardees never tried to give the Bharat Ratna to Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.”
Further, he said that Mahatma Gandhi never spoke about a secular country, but his intention was to set up a ‘Rama Rajya’. Gandhi sowed the seeds of patriotism among the minds of the people, which led to the country’s Independence, he said.
MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath, Angara, Sanjeeva Matandoor, former MLC Monappa Bhandary, ZP president Meenakshi Shanthigodu and others were present.
