Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 6: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday reiterated his criticism of Hindutva, claiming that it was different from Sanatan Dharma and citing the late Veer Savarkar to support his argument.
The Congress leader's remarks came amid a controversy triggered by his statement on Thursday, when he alleged that Hindutva promotes hatred and accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) of spreading hatred while considering Savarkar their leader.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Singh questioned whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), RSS and VHP believed in Sanatan Dharma.
"Hindutva is not Sanatan Dharma. Savarkar himself said this, and he was the first to use the term 'Hindutva'," he claimed.
Explaining his understanding of Sanatan Dharma, Singh said it had existed in the country for thousands of years and stood for goodwill, harmony and the welfare of all living beings.
"I have always maintained that our religion is Sanatan Dharma, which has existed in this country for thousands of years. Whenever a religious event is held, what slogans do we raise? 'May good triumph over evil (Dharm ki jay ho, adharm ka naash ho), may there be goodwill among all living beings, and may the world prosper'," he said.
"This is our Sanatan Dharma, which these people do not believe in. They consider Hindutva to be Sanatan Dharma. How can we accept that?" he added.
Earlier on Friday, Singh had also criticised the BJP's interpretation of Hindutva, alleging that the ideology promoted hatred rather than Hinduism and had no connection with Sanatan Dharma.
"They (BJP) started talking about Sanatan Dharma only after I raised this topic of Sanatan Dharma. Their religion is Hindutva, not Sanatan. Hindutva spreads hatred, not Hindu. Savarkar himself said that Hindutva has no connection with religion," he said.
Singh further maintained that Sanatan Dharma stood for respecting all religions and working towards the welfare of the entire world.
He also alleged that the BJP had started invoking Sanatan Dharma only after he raised the issue, asserting that the party's ideological understanding was rooted in Hindutva rather than the broader philosophy of Sanatan Dharma.