"India belongs to all of us, we gained independence with great effort": Farooq Abdullah reacts to Mohan Bhagwat's remark

Ajmer (Rajasthan) [India], January 18 (ANI): National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday responded to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on 'India's Independence'.
"India is a great nation and it belongs to all of us... We gained independence with great effort. We have to create a brotherhood to retain this independence... I hope Mohan Bhagwat and everyone create an India in which we can live with harmony and progress. All of us want that India.." he said.
On Monday, Mohan Bhagwat had
said that India witnessed true independence on the day of Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.
Bhagwat addressing a gathering at an event in Madhya Pradesh's Indore said, "The true independence of India, which had faced many centuries of persecution, was established on the day of Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony. India had gained independence but it was not established."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also strongly condemned RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that India gained "true independence" after the Ram Temple consecration, calling it "dangerous".
CM Banerjee said, "It is not right to forget the history of our independence like this...I think this is a dangerous thing to say... This should be withdrawn. May our independence live long. We should celebrate our freedom fighters. So many young people gave their lives. Will they forget the entire history of the country like this?"
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned Bhagwat's statement that India didn't gain independence in 1947, calling it an insult to every Indian. He emphasized that such comments would warrant arrest and trial in any other country.
"Mohan Bhagwat has the audacity to inform the nation every 2-3 days what he thinks about the independence movement and Constitution. What he said yesterday is treason because it states that the Constitution is invalid, fight against the British was invalid. He has the audacity to say this publicly, in any other country, he would be arrested and tried. To say that India did not get independence in 1947 is an insult to every single Indian person and it's about time we stop listening to this nonsense that these people think they can just keep parroting out and shouting and screaming...," he said. (ANI)