Are RSS people native Indians? Congress' Siddaramaiah stirs fresh controversy amid textbook row
India Today
Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has caused a fresh controversy while reacting to the inclusion of RSS founder's speech in school textbooks.
Senior Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah has stirred a hornets' nest with remarks about Aryan culture and its origins. The former chief minister was reacting to the inclusion of chapters on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Hedgewar's speech in revised Kannada school textbooks for class 10.
Siddaramaiah said, "RSS people - Are they native Indians? We don't want to debate such things. Do Aryans belong to this country? Are they Dravidians? We will have to get to the roots."
He was addressing Congress workers on the occasion of Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru's death anniversary in Bengaluru,
Earlier, the inclusion of Hedgewar's speech was objected to by some organisations, including All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC).
The BJP government in the state is trying to force the ideology of RSS and the party into the textbooks, AISEC had alleged in a statement.
However, Education Minister BC Nagesh defended the inclusion of the speech, saying that the textbook does not contain anything about Hedgewar or RSS, but only his speech on what should be an inspiration to people, especially the youth. He said that those who have raised objections have not gone through the textbook.
