'My chants in praise of BJP and RSS stalwarts were a reaction to what MPs like Owaisi did.'
"Nobody remembered stalwart leaders who sacrificed their lives for the nation, leaders because of whom our nation achieved greatness and who helped maintain the unity and integrity of India," BJP MP from Ghaziabad Atul Garg tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why he chanted slogans in praise of Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, Jan Sangh leaders Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Atal Bihari Vajpayee after taking the oath in the Lok Sabha.
'Why I did it'
I was very saddened when I heard MPs from different parties hailing their regional leaders. Somebody was praising (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K) Stalin; others were praising some other leaders or other countries.
But nobody remembered stalwart leaders who sacrificed their lives for the nation, leaders because of whom our nation achieved greatness and who helped maintain the unity and integrity of India.
Owaisiji (Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi) even hailed Palestine. But none of them praised any desh bhakt. So, I decided to hail the leaders who sacrificed their lives for the unity and integrity of India and who are still endangering their lives for the unity and integrity of India.
I hailed leaders who gave a certain character to India's politics.
So I chanted 'Dr Hedgewar Zindabad'
Our leader Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life for the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He died inside a prison.
Deen Dayal Upadhyayji was also murdered. The nation has so much of love and affection for Atalji; he helped restore India's traditions even at international fora; world still remembers his speech in Hindi at the United Nations.
After I finished praising these desh bhakts the Opposition MPs created a furore.
On the spur of the moment I decided that I have to go back and even praise Dr Hedgewar (Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh). So I chanted 'Dr Hedgewar Zindabad'.
'Who was Owaisi trying to please?'
If these people can chant slogans in praise of Palestine then as a true desh bhakt I see it as my duty to praise and extol all those who fought and are still fighting for the unity of Bharat and Hindus. Shall we not praise all those leaders who have given certain character of strength to our country?
Who was he (Owaisi) trying to please by chanting 'Jai Philistine (Palestine)'?
It was important that I chanted these slogans to make our country realise who our true leaders are.
The BJP has worked wonders for India on all important parameters like the economic, defence, housing for the poor and religious front in the last 10 years and so it is important that we take pride in what our leaders have done for the country.
If any of the BJP MP or leader see that MPs belonging to other party are acting against the interest of the country or acting with malice against our country then it is only natural that once gets agitated and raises such slogans to counter their narrative. At such moments people like me will speak out and do speak out.
'Opposition always gets angry with true desh bhakts'
My chants in praise of all the BJP and RSS stalwarts were a reaction to what MPs like Owaisi did. If these people continue in the same vein then going ahead it will be important for people like me to counter such narratives.
The Opposition gets angry with anybody who is a true desh bhakt. They will always speak only on issues that will appease their core voters.
I just did not praise just Narendra Modi. I wove a series in which I began extolling the founders of the Jan Sangh (the BJP's parent party), and praised the four top-most leaders of the BJP.
My slogan shouting was not an attempt to appease our core voters but an attempt to praise the true desh bhakts of India.
