Pune: “Peaceful coexistence with anyone is not possible with Islam. This is not just the present situation, but has been the history of Islam since its inception,” said former MP Pradeep Rawat. He expressed this opinion on Saturday, October 5, at the Martyr Shrikant Lingayat Jayanti program organized at Deccan Corner by the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Adhyasan Kendra. Present at the event were former MP Pradeep Rawat, writer and speaker Bharat Amadapure, Shrikant Lingayat’s brother Chandrakant Lingayat and others. The event was organized by the Martyr Shrikant Lingayat Memorial Committee, Late Shrikant Lingayat Memorial Trust, Vivek Vichar Manch, Raje Shivaray Pratishthan, and Sakal Hindu Samaj.
Rawat emphasized that Hindus need to recognize their enemies to protect the Constitution. He stated, “Even though there are flaws in political Hindutva, they should be rectified and embraced for the nation’s benefit. If Hindus survive, only then will the Constitution survive.” He argued that the Constitution is safe as long as Hindus remain the majority and that political Hindutva should be strong to safeguard cultural Hindutva. Rawat reiterated that peaceful coexistence is not possible with Islam and that this has been its history since its birth. He referenced Chhatrapati Shivaji’s efforts to uproot the thousand-year-old Islamic rule. He called for a remembrance day for the national forefathers who died during these injustices and emphasized that Hindus should view Islam from the perspective of Islam itself. According to him, Islam values religious brotherhood over blood relations and votes as a religious unit. He urged Hindus, divided by caste, to think similarly and vote as Hindus for the protection of the Constitution. Bharat Amadapure also spoke at the event, stating, “Jihadists do not believe in the values of democracy and the Constitution. The question of whether the Quran or the Constitution takes precedence should be posed to the fundamentalist followers of Islam.” He noted that while the Hindu society is politically awake today, the issue is not fully resolved. Mere political transformation is not enough; societal mentality needs to change, he said.
“Lingayats are 200% Hindus”
“Lingayats, who are worshippers of Shankar (Shiva), were Hindus in the past and will remain Hindus in the future. Some people are working to divide the Hindu society by creating caste-based conflicts. The Lingayat community is 200% Hindu and has shed blood for the protection of Hinduism and the Constitution,” said Chandrakant Lingayat emphatically. He further shared memories of how Shrikant fought against the Emergency, which undermined constitutional values. Shrikant devoted himself to this cause, leading to a 19-month imprisonment during which he completed his B.Com degree. On January 26, 1982, Shrikant attended a program organized by the Patit Pavan Sanghatana in Bhavani Peth with his friends. The event included chants in praise of Bharat Mata and slogans against Pakistan. After the event, a group of jihadists attacked Shrikant and his friends in a cowardly mob attack. Shrikant battled for life for nearly one and a half months but eventually succumbed to his injuries,” Chandrakant Lingayat recalled. In the event, Vivek Vichar Manch’s Executive Mahesh Pohnerkar and Prof. Vijay Darekar were also present. The program was compared by Nilesh Dhayarkar, and Mahesh Pawale gave the vote of thanks.
