Mumbai, Nov 13 — BJP leader Ram Kadam on Friday criticised Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, over her remarks on Anna Hazare's 2011 anti-corruption movement in her recently released memoir titled, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', saying it was unacceptable to question the integrity of a person who had fought for the implementation of the Lokpal without seeking political gains.
An excerpt from Sonia Gandhi’s memoir read, "A well-known activist from Maharashtra, Baburao 'Anna' (Marathi for 'father' or 'elder brother') Hazare, emerged as the figurehead of a movement that titled itself 'India Against Corruption.' Some of its prominent participants have stated since that it was covertly organised and supported by the BJP and RSS."
The social activist himself also rubbished the claims. Hazare said, “This is wrong. I don't have any connection with the BJP or RSS. I don't participate in their programmes. My country is my priority."
Kadam said Hazare's nationwide movement had received widespread public support because its demand was justified and had compelled the government to accept the demands raised by the activist.
"In 2011, Anna Hazare launched a major nationwide movement demanding the implementation of the Lokpal. People supported his movement because his demand was justified. He was not seeking anything for himself but was fighting for the country. Was demanding a Lokpal wrong?" Kadam told IANS.
Taking exception to Sonia Gandhi's criticism of Hazare and his movement in her book, Kadam questioned the basis of her remarks.
"Anna Hazare is an honest and respected individual who has served the country without seeking any political position or award. Criticising such a personality and making it appear that others were behind his movement is unacceptable," he said.
Kadam maintained that the movement had been successful, pointing out that the government had to accept the demands raised by Hazare at the time.
The BJP leader also weighed in on the controversy over Bhojpuri songs being played at Mumbai railway stations during Chhath celebrations, asserting that Maharashtra's linguistic identity and its tradition of respecting other languages could coexist.
"For Maharashtra, Marathi is the supreme language, and it will remain so till eternity. Having said that, this is also the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is the land that respects all languages," Kadam said.
Describing Maharashtra's cultural identity as multilingual, he noted that people speaking different languages had made Mumbai their home.
"The cultural image of Maharashtra is multilingual. People of all languages live in Mumbai," he said.
Kadam also highlighted the significance of Chhath for migrant communities from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh living in Maharashtra, saying the festival was observed by millions of devotees.
"Chhath is celebrated by millions of devotees of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, who live in Maharashtra. One needs to understand that language can't be made into a political tool to exert dominance," he said.
Without naming any party, Kadam said political groups seeking to impose linguistic dominance had lost public support.
"This is the reason that the parties trying to push for dominance through language supremacy are nowhere to be found today," he added.