‘True nationalists are Congressmen...BJP never took part in freedom struggle’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

CM Siddaramaiah took a jibe at the BJP and said it is the Congress who are true nationalists, as the BJP never took part in the independence movement.

Published on: Feb 22, 2024, 16:20:11 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its participation in the country's freedom struggle stating that unlike members of Congress who are true nationalists the "BJP and Jan Sangh never took part in the independence movement."

Replying to the debate on the Governor's speech in Legislative Council, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Are those who fought for the freedom of the country, who went to jail are not nationalists? Those who did not participate in the freedom struggle are not nationalists?"

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Explaining the role of Congress in the freedom movement in detail, Siddaramaiah said that there is no history available for BJP in its fight for the country's independence.

"There is no history of freedom struggle for the BJP. There is no history of them fighting for the country. After the country got freedom from our struggle, now they are claiming to be nationalists. But the history of India has recorded who are the real nationalists," he said.

While the chief minister was detailing the record and achievements of the Congress in the country's freedom struggle and nation building in the Parishad, JDS member Boje Gowda tried to intervene.

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Reacting to the intervention by the member, Chief Minister said, "Boje Gowda, if you are secular, come here. If you are communal, stay there."

On P Puttanna taking oath as member of Vidhan Parishad after defeating the BJP-JDS coalition, Chief Minister praised the Congress leader and said "Sir, you have won eight times. No one can match your record at present."

Karnataka's Budget Session commenced on February 12 with the address by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot.

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Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More