# Yathindra Siddaramaiah says Hindu Rashtra could restore oppressive order 2026-08-06T07:22:38+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Karnataka urban development minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah said that a Hindu Rashtra would lead to the return of an oppressive social order in India, according to a report in India TV News. He made the remark at an event on Tuesday in Bidar, criticising the idea of a state defined by religion and directing his comments at the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, without naming either outright. "If India becomes a Hindu Rashtra, an oppressive social order will return," Siddaramaiah said, adding that communal forces were using religion as a tool of suppression. The report says the remark has triggered controversy and that neither the BJP nor the RSS had responded as of the time of publication. It also notes Siddaramaiah made a related claim last month, that the RSS cannot be equated with Hinduism or the country. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India TV News gives Siddaramaiah's own words rather than only a paraphrase, which lets readers judge the claim on its stated terms: that a religiously defined state would restore an oppressive order, aimed at the BJP and RSS without naming them directly. The report is explicit that neither organisation has responded, so the controversy it describes rests on one side of the exchange. Siddaramaiah's remark follows an earlier one last month on the RSS and Hindu identity, suggesting a pattern rather than an isolated comment. Whether the BJP or the RSS issues a formal response is the next development to watch. ## Coverage - www.indiatvnews.com Tags: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Yathindra Siddaramaiah Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/if-india-becomes-hindu-rashtra-oppressive-social-order-will-return-yathindra-siddaramaiah-stirs-row/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/if-india-becomes-hindu-rashtra-oppressive-social-order-will-return-yathindra-siddaramaiah-stirs-row/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.