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.”

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.