Mumbai: Dismissing the complaint lodged against her as bogus and baseless, actor and Congress’ Lok Sabha candidate Urmila Matondkar on Sunday said that she respects Hinduism but not how the BJP understands it.
“I believe in Hinduism which embraces benevolent concepts of Wasudhaiv Kutumbakam and Ahimsa Paramodharma. This is the Hinduism promoted by our great forefathers and Lokmanya Tilak, Gandhiji, Vivekanand and Sardar Patel. I believe in, love and respect Hinduism in this sense and not in what BJP wants to promote,” she said in a statement.
A BJP worker had lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday accusing her of making anti-Hindu remarks. He had taken umbrage at an interview in which she had objected to the fake, divisive and violent ideology promoted by the BJP in the name of Hinduism.
Urmila, not inclined to take the matter lying down, said: “The complaint filed against me is ex facie bogus, baseless and filed with ulterior motives.
I have been grossly misquoted by the complainant who is a BJP member with mala fide intentions.’’ ‘‘Unfortunately, today, raising voice against the BJP ideology and speaking the truth amounts to committing a crime. I have been victimised like so many others in the last 5 years by the BJP. I deplore this aggressive and hostile policy. Satymev Jayate,” she concludes.
The BJP worker has also sought action against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly instructing Matondkar to make the “calumnious comments” and against journalist Rajdeep Sardesai for letting the actor make the remarks on his news channel. Matondkar is the Congress’ candidate from Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency.
