Congress women’s wing president Lakshmi Hebbalkar has apologised to members of Rashtriya Basava Dal for saying that Basaveshwara had ended his life by committing suicide in the 12th century.
Dal activists had sought an apology from her for her reported statement about the revolutionary leader made at a party meeting in Sankeshwar on Friday.
They alleged that Ms. Hebbalkar, a Lingayat leader, had said that Basaveshwara had tried to remove the inequalities of class, caste and gender and bring about a socio-cultural revolution through his Vachanas, but committed suicide ultimately.
A group of young Dal members met her in Sankeshwar after her speech and tried to argue that saying that the leader committed suicide would mean that he was not brave enough to face the challenges of life. This would send a wrong message to society and affect his image, they told her. She expressed regret and said that she did not mean ill of the leader. “I have the greatest respect for Basaveshwara and I am a strong follower of his ideals. I did not mean to insult him or affect his image,” Ms. Hebbalkar said.
She also said that she would apologise if she had hurt anyone’s feelings.
Anand Gudas, Dal district secretary, dismissed this as a minor incident. Such beliefs exist among several political leaders as they lack academic background. “But we know that Ms. Hebbalkar is a respected leader of the community and she means well. We are not pursuing it further,” he said.