I have not insulted any religion, says KPCC Working President Jarakiholi

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Working President Satish Jarakiholi has finally issued a clarification on the remarks he made on the origin and meaning of the term 'Hindu'. Jarakiholi admitted to having said that 'Hindu' is a Persian word with a derogatory meaning as per Wikipedia, but asserted his remarks have been blown out of proportion in the media.

Belagavi (Karnataka): Amid widespread backlash, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Working President Satish Jarakiholi has finally issued a clarification on the remarks he made on the origin and meaning of the term 'Hindu'. Jarakiholi admitted to having said that 'Hindu' is a Persian word with a derogatory meaning as per Wikipedia, but asserted his remarks have been blown out of proportion in the media.

The Congress leader in his defence said that the media is exaggerating what he said, saying that he only quoted what is available online in the public domain and has nothing against any religion or caste. He urged everyone to listen to his speech ten times before drawing conclusions and making it a subject of national debate.

"I have grown beyond religions Hindu, Persian, Islam, Jain or Buddhist. There is nothing wrong with what I said as there are hundreds of documents about the Persian origin of the word (Hindu). The media is analyzing as they would do on Ukraine-Russia war. This is like a surgical strike. Media should show real news," Jarakiholi quipped.

The Congress leader further added, "I don't want to insult anyone. All religions are the same for me. I am a person who does not believe in any caste or religion." In response to the uproar in the media over his Belagavi speech on Sunday, Jarakiholi has threatened to file a defamation against them.

The KPCC Working President's response came after the BJP slammed him for his purported remarks insulting Hindus. Meanwhile, the Congress distanced itself from Jarakiholi's controversial remarks.