Karnataka Assembly Speaker and BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri on Thursday courted controversy by telling a Congress MLA B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan in the assembly that, one day, even he will have to identify himself with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The speaker’s statement came during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly when Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a reference to the Hindu extremist organisation while speaking about his personal equations with some BJP leaders and Ministers.
“Personal relations are important, then comes party differences- BJP, RSS, Congress and others,” the Congress leader said to which the Speaker asked Siddaramaiah, “why are you feeling troubled about our RSS?” As Siddaramaiah was clarifying that he was not speaking by attaching any feelings, Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan asked, “You (Speaker) are saying-‘Our RSS’- sitting on that chair?” To this Kageri responded by saying, “what else, if not our RSS? Yes….it is Our RSS. RSS is ours….Zameer, I’m telling you one thing, if not today someday in the future, in our country, even you will have to say- Our RSS- definitely.” To this, some Congress legislators including Khan said, that day would never come and they would never say it.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka said RSS has become “Sarva Vyapi and Sarva Sparshi” (ubiquitous and omnipresent).
“Our country’s President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister are all from RSS, everyone has to accept it now….it is our good fortune,” he said.
Karnataka Minister and senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa said, “All Muslims and Christians in the country, if not today, someday in the future, will become (associate themselves with) RSS. There is no doubt about it.”
(PTI inputs)
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