Mahatma Gandhi's Freedom Struggle A 'Drama': BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde Strikes Controversy

Former Union minister and BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde on Saturday called the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a ‘drama’. The Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada while addressing a public event in Bengaluru, said the entire freedom movement was ‘staged with the consent and support of the British’. "None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," news agency ANI quoted Hegde as saying.

Terming Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes and satyagraha a ‘drama’, Hegde said: "People supporting Congress keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha."

"Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country," Hegde added.

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When Hegde asked an IAS officer to go to Pakistan

This is not the first time Anant Kumar Hegde has stroked a controversy. Earlier he had slammed IAS officer Sashikanth Senthil who resigned from his post saying "fundamental building blocks of democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner”. Taking to Twitter, Hegdehad written: “If this guy can conclude that the Union Government is fascist; then we have the liberty to call him another paid #Gaddar, dancing to the tunes set by his real paymasters! This may be the debate he wants to initiate! (sic).”

In another tweet in Kannada, Hegde said that first thing Senthil needs to do is ‘immediately go to Pakistan.’

In an interview to Hindustan Times Senthil had said what is happening in the national scenario pushed me to get out of the services. I feel this reached a crescendo when it came to the abrogation of Article 370.