I am a Hindu, Hindu religion and Hindutva are two distinct entities: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Thursday said that he is a 'Hindu' while emphasizing that there is a difference between Hindu and Hindutva.

While addressing a Congress event in Bengaluru, he said, “Hindutva is Hindutva. I am a Hindu. Hindutva is different and Hindu is different.”

He asked, Don't Hindu worship Ram? Without taking names, he said that are they (BJP) the only one " Haven't we built Ram Mandirs? Don't we sing Ram Bhajans?

He said, “People sing bhajans during the last week of December... I used to partake in that tradition in our village. This is practiced in other villages too. Are they (the BJP) the only ones? Aren't we Hindus?”

BJP leader CN Ashwath Narayan slammed Siddaramaiah over his remark and said that the grand old party "never had any clarity of isses with respect to Bharat or Hindutva. He accused them pf "appeasement politics".

Narayan said that Congress always practiced divisive politics and never respected the law of the land. He lambasted congress party saying that the party have no moral rights to talk about Hindutva.

Notably, Siddaramiah, in February, while he was Leader of Opposition said, “Hindutva is against the Constitution. Hindutva and Hindu dharma is different. I'm not against the Hindu religion... I am a Hindu but I oppose Manuvad and Hindutva.”

“No religion supports murder... but Hindutva supports murder and discrimination,” he added.

He said that he is a Hindu but is against Hindutva in January as well. He added that although he had never been against the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he was against its being used for political advantage.

Siddaramiah's comment is significant as it come ahead of consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya which is scheduled on January 22, four months before General elections