The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon on Tuesday following uproar by opposition members over BJP leader Anant Hegde's remark on Mahatma Gandhi. Members of the Congress, DMK, and NCP raised the issue but speaker Om Birla did not allow the same. Meanwhile, some of them displayed playcards saying, 'BJP Party Godse Party' and Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe. Amid the uproar, the speaker adjourned proceedings till noon. At an public event in Bengaluru Hegde said, that Gandhi's freedom struggle was just a mere drama that was staged with the consent of the British. Sources say the BJP's top leadership was upset with Hegde's comment terming it unacceptable.
Hegde was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, "None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle."Hedgde declared, “People supporting Congress keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha... Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country.”