Days after slogans were raised in Karnataka Assembly against freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, the 102-year-old veteran readied his CV to take up the BJP's freedom fighter test.
Doreswamy has outlined a summary of his life from his birth in 1918 to his participation in the Quit India and Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan movement, and, his recent campaign to revive lakes in Bengaluru, according to a report by The Indian Express.
A known figure in civil society movements in Karnataka, Doreswamy is now in the middle of a political storm. The controversy began last month when the BJP MLA from Bijapur, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, called him a "fake freedom fighter" and a "Pakistani agent". He even sought proof of his involvement in the Independence movement.
Also read — Congress digs out Doreswamy’s jail certificate
Last week, the Opposition Congress, which has strongly backed freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, released a 49-year-old document to prove that the veteran participated in the independence struggle, especially the Quit India movement.
"Look here," Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said while flashing a certificate dated September 24, 1971, from the office of the senior superintendent of the Bengaluru central jail.
Responding to BJP leaders who have been targetting him, Doreswamy said: "I have been in public life for 60 years. We have differences in ideology but I have friends in the BJP and RSS too. I never expected that the BJP as a whole would attack me like this."
Doreswamy told the publication that he is not worried as "rules and regulations are there, the Constitution is there to defend us."