‘Hindu is a Persian word, meaning of it is very dirty’; Congress leader’s speech becomes controversial

BENGALURU: Political controversy in Karnataka following Congress leader's remarks. The controversial speech was by Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi who questioned the origin of the word 'Hindu'. Jarkiholi's speech has created a headache for the Congress.

#WATCH| "Where has 'Hindu' term come from?It's come from Persia...So, what is its relation with India? How's 'Hindu' yours? Check on WhatsApp, Wikipedia, term isn't yours. Why do you want to put it on a pedestal?...Its meaning is horrible:KPCC Working Pres Satish Jarkiholi (6.11) pic.twitter.com/7AMaXEKyD9

— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2022

"The word Hindu, where did it originate from? Is it ours? It's Persian, from the region of Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. What is the connection of the word Hindu with India? You are forcefully imposing this word and religion on us", said Jarkiholi. “There should be discussion on this. Check WhatsApp, and Wikipedia. This term isn't yours. Why do you want to put it on a pedestal? When you learn about its meaning, you will be embarrassed. The meaning of the word is very dirty,” he added.

BJP strongly criticized the incident. BJP leader S Prakash said that the Congress has always insulted the majority people and Siddaramaiah used to do this earlier.