Burning 'Chaddi': Why Are Congress And BJP Leaders Fighting Over Knickers In Karnataka?

A new political row between the BJP and the Congress has begun to stir in Karnataka, where Congress workers burnt underwear at various places in Chitradurga and Chickmangaluru in the state to protest against the BJP on Tuesday. And the ‘chaddi(knicker) controversy’ between the parties now refuses to abate. 

What is the ‘Chaddi’ controversy?

The squabble began on June 1 after members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), a Congress’ students wings, burnt a pair of shorts of the people associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to protest the saffronisation of school textbooks. The protest was carried out outside the house of Education Minister BC Nagesh in Tiptur in Tumakuru district

The Leader of Opposition at the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah also said that ‘chaddis’ would be burnt as a sign of protest against the RSS. Speaking to reporters at a press conference, he said, “During a protest, we symbolically burnt one underwear – just one underwear. But the police and government made it a big issue and said we are trying to burn the house... So let's start a chaddi-burning campaign.”

On Tuesday he took another jibe at the BJP. Speaking at Hubli, he said, “I am telling you from the beginning that RSS is a non-secular organisation. Has a Dalit, OBC or a member from minority communities ever become Sarsanghchalak? What else can chaddis do? They do chaddi work only, chaddis do chaddi work."

Following Siddaramaiah’s controversial comment and threat, the RSS began collecting knickers to send them to the Congress office.

How has BJP reacted 

In the Mandya district, angry RSS workers have collected shorts to send to the Congress office as a mark of their protest.

Condemning the statements and the act of the Congress, Chief Minister  Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress should focus on talking about better things and discuss the future development of the state instead.

"Congress leader Siddaramaiah doesn't have any other subject, so he is talking about such things. People of Karnataka looking into all these things. He should talk about the development and future of the state," Mr Bommai said.

Hitting out at the Congress, Nagesh said that the party aims to politicise the textbook issue for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year.

"Their (Congress) aim is not the textbook, but to politicise the issue for elections. For the last 65 years, they were teaching false things to the students," the education minister said.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also said, "Siddaramaiah and Congress party's chaddi is loose already. They have torn chaddi. So they have gone ahead to burn chaddi. Their chaddi was lost in UP. Siddaramaiah lost his chaddi and lungi in Chamundeshwari."

Meanwhile, BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanswamy has asked Siddaramaiah to seek permission as these burnings would cause air pollution. 

What is the textbook controversy? 

The BJP-led Karnataka government has been embroiled in a controversy for weeks now. 

The state government had appointed noted right-wing writer Rohit Chakrathirtha to head a 15-member committee examining books from classes I to X after complaints were received that a few chapters in the books are hurting religious sentiments. The committee then partially revised social science textbooks from Class 6 to 10 and Kannada language textbooks from Class 1 to 10.

Allegations started surfacing that the review committee has omitted chapters on freedom fighters, social reformers and litterateurs. They have also replaced chapters on Bhagat Singh with an essay on a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar an essay on a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in the revised books. 

Amid this escalating controversy, Congress has called a protest in Vidhana Soudha at 10 am on June 9, Thursday.