Siddaramaiah cries foul: I have been misquoted

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

After a backlash from the seers of various mutts for comparing the hijab to the headgear or the saffron coloured piece of cloth used to cover the head by pontiffs, Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has backtracked from his statement saying that he has been “misquoted” by the media.

“What I said was that generally everybody, including most women, covers their head with their saris. I never insulted or showed any disrespect to our pontiffs. My statement has been used out of context”: Siddaramaiah clarified through a series of tweets after some seers attacked the Congress left, right and centre for allegedly insulting them by comparing their saffron cloth and headgear to the hijab.

Siddaramaiah said he has high regards for seers of all pontiffs of all castes and communities. “I have shared a cordial relationship with them for a long time. People know well that I have never shown disrespect and disregarded them in any manner. My political opponents have quoted me out of context and are spreading the canard about me. Unfortunately, it was supported by a section of the media too. Senior pontiffs have understood how my statement has been blown out of proportion, and for this reason, they are quiet. My namaskara to all those pontiffs”: he added.

Late damage control
The damage was done even before the former CM released the tweets early on Saturday to try and undo what he said on Friday. The seers bombarded the veteran politician with a series of statements warning the Congress party that if Siddaramaiah continued to insult the Hindu swamijis by comparing the traditional headgear or their saffron coloured piece of cloth to the hijab worn by Muslim women. They demanded that the Congress leader tender an apology to all the seers across the State irrespective of their mutts for “insulting their sacred attire”.

A few anti-Siddaramaiah Congress leaders reportedly dialled their counterparts in Delhi, regarding the “big damage” done by Siddaramaiah in a bid to take sides with the Muslim community by appealing to the State government to allow minority girl students to wear the dupatta. Lingayat Congress leaders are reportedly very upset with Siddaramaiah for his “direct attack” on the traditional saffron clothes worn by pontiffs that too at a time when they have been against the party for trying to divide the community in the name of Lingayats and Veerashaivas. While the Congress Lingayat leaders are trying to woo the community, this statement by Siddaramaiah has ruptured the deep wound before it healed.

“Our leader’s statement has hurt the pontiffs very much. It is unbecoming on the part of a seasoned politician like Siddaramaiah to make such a loose statement even without bothering to understand its impact on the Congress in the 2023 Assembly polls. If Lingayat seers call to vote against the Congress, the party is doomed,” a popular Lingayat leader of North Karnataka told News Trail.

Presented on platter
Siddaramaiah’s statement has come as a blessing in disguise for the BJP to fur ther expose the Congress party’s “appeasement of the minorities”. State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel compared Siddaramaiah to “Ravan” of the Ramayana. Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa said the Kuruba leader has burnt his fingers by trying to talk about the seers’ dress. “The pontiffs are like fire and the Congress leader will have to bear the brunt of the enraged sadhus,” he said.