‘Meaning of Hindu is vulgar and shameful, originated from Persia’: Congress leader sparks controversy

Sparking a major controversy with his remarks, senior Karnataka Congress leader Satish Laxmanrao Jarkiholi has come under the fire from his own party workers after he made several comments about the origin of the word ‘Hindu’.

Jarkiholi, while sparking a row with his remarks, said that the word Hindu has a “shameful and vulgar” meaning behind it and did not even originate from India. The Congress leader further said that the word has its origins linked to the Persian Empire.

The top Karnataka Congress leader questioned how Indians could accept the word Hindu when it did not even originate from India, but from countries such as Iraq and Uzbekistan, saying that the connection of the word with India should be questioned.

In a short clip on social media, the Congress leader said, “The word Hindu, where did it originate from? Is it ours? It’s Persian, from the region of Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. What is the connection of the word Hindu with India? Then how can you accept it? This should be debated.”

The video of the Karnataka Congress leader is now doing rounds on social media, with the BJP calling it an unnecessary provocation of the Hindu community. Meanwhile, the Congress party has also slammed the comments made by their own party member.

Top Congress leader Randeep Surjewala took to social media and said, “Hinduism is a way of life & a civilizational reality. Congress built our Nation to respect every religion, belief & faith. This is the essence of India. The statement attributed to Satish Jarkiholi is deeply unfortunate & deserves to be rejected. We condemn it unequivocally.”

Dr. Ashwathnarayan CN, Karnataka’s Minister for Higher Education, slammed the Congress party for not respecting the sentiments of the people and creating confusion regarding Hinduism. “Don’t create unnecessary controversies, it is not good in the interest of the societies,” he said.