Will not let BJP hijack the word 'Hindu', says former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat

Harish Rawat said, "The BJP has emptied Hinduism of its vital elements and reduced it to Hindutva. We are Hindus in our values. We believe in Sanatan Dharma. We won't let it hijack the word Hindu.”

File Photo

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat fired a fresh salvo on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said he would not allow the saffron party to “hijack the word Hindu". He also informed Congress will launch a Parivartan Yatra in September against the ruling BJP government in Uttarakhand, PTI reported. 

Speaking to reporters in Dehradun on Saturday (August 21), the AICC general secretary and the campaign committee head for Uttarakhand said, "The BJP has emptied Hinduism of its vital elements and reduced it to Hindutva. We are Hindus in our values. We believe in Sanatan Dharma. We won't let it hijack the word Hindu.”

Slamming BJP, he said the party believes in fighting with all religions. “Being Hindus, we believe in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (entire earth is one family), Sarva Dharma Sambhav (equality of religions) but the BJP believes in Sarva Dharma Jhagda Bhav (quarrelling with all religions),” the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister said. 

Further, Rawat announced Congress will launch Parivartan Yatra to make people aware of the "failures" of the BJP governments both in the state and the Centre. The Congress leader accused the ruling BJP government in the state of undoing all reforms introduced in education and health sectors during his tenure. 

“The Parivartan Yatra is aimed at convincing people why a change of government is necessary in the state to strengthen it economically and keep "Uttarakhandiyat" -- the all-encompassing nature of its cultural identity alive,” he added. 

Rawat emphasised, "We will keep the flag of Uttarakhandiyat flying high and create a welfare state which takes care of the common people, the poor and the deprived sections of society.”

Rawat’s scathing remarks come in the backdrop of the hilly state going to Assembly polls next year. The opposition has up the ante against the Pushkar Singh Dhami- led Uttarakhand government. 

(With PTI inputs)