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Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Monday advised BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi over the ongoing debate on Hinduism vs Hindutva and asked him to "do his homework properly."
Speaking with ANI, Hariprasad cited Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's seminal work Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, which makes a clear distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism, arguing that Hinduism (or Hindu Dharma) is a part, or a "fraction," of the larger concept of Hindutva. He said that the BJP is misusing terms; Hindutva linked to specific groups, who are "turncoats and can speak anything" and are "followed by the Khaki shorts and black cap-worn people..." "... He should do his homework properly. The icon of Hindutva, Savarkar, has clearly said there is no relation between Hinduism and Hindutva. Hinduism is a religion, Hindutva is a political slogan... These people are turncoats and can speak anything. Hinduism is a religion followed by the majority of the people, whereas Hindutva is followed by the Khaki shorts and black cap-worn people...," said the Congress leader. Hariprasad's comments came in response to statements made by BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi during a debate hosted by the Calcutta Debating Circle on Sunday on the theme "Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva." At the event, Trivedi emphasised a complementary relationship between Hinduism and Hindutva, arguing that Hindutva represents "Hindu tattva," the core essence of Hinduism. Trivedi also said Hinduism is unique among world religions in allowing debate on even its sacred texts, and questioned the use of the suffix "ism" for religions that originated in India. "When you cherish Hinduism, it is called Hindutva," he remarked, rejecting the notion that Hindutva undermines the religion. The Calcutta Debating Circle hosted a debate on the topic "Hinduism Needs Protection from Hindutva" at the Lawns, Calcutta Club on Sunday. The event aimed to foster discussions on the complexities of justice and was attended by several prominent figures, including J. Sai Deepak, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Mahua Moitra, Ruchika Sharma, and Sudhanshu Trivedi. (ANI)
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