Anant Kumar Hegde

Anant Kumar Hegde (born 20 May 1968) is an Indian politician, the former Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the incumbent Member of Parliament for Uttara Kannada constituency. Hegde, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is known for his controversial remarks against Islam. Hegde is a Hindu nationalist and member of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).[1][2]

For other similarly named people, see Ananth Kumar (disambiguation).

Anant Kumar Dattatreya Hegde
Minister of State for Skill Development Entrepreneurship
In office
3 September 2017 – 24 May 2019
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byRajiv Pratap Rudy
ConstituencyUttara Kannada
Member of Indian Parliament
Assumed office
2004
Preceded byMargaret Alva
ConstituencyUttara Kannada
In office
1996–1999
Preceded byG. Devaraya Naik
Succeeded byMargaret Alva
ConstituencyUttara Kannada
Personal details
Born (1968-05-20) 20 May 1968
Sirsi, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Children2
Websiteanantkumarhegde.com
As of 23 September, 2006
Source:

Early life

Anantkumar Hegde was born to Lalita and Dattatreya Hegde in Sirsi of Uttara Kannada district on 20 May 1968. He graduated from MM Arts & Science College in Sirsi. During college days he was member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and later an ABVP activist.[1][3] In 1998, Anant Kumar married Shrirupa Hegde and they have two children, a daughter and a son.[4]

Career

Six-time Lok Sabha member as of 2020, Hegde was first elected to the 11th Lok Sabha in 1996 from Uttar Kanara seat, then re-elected in 1998. He narrowly lost in the next election in 1999 to Margaret Alva of Congress. Since then, he has been re-elected four consecutive times from Uttara Kannada (Lok Sabha constituency) from 2004-2009 Lok Sabha to 2019-2024.[5][6]

He was appointed the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet since September 2017.[7]

Social Activities

Anant Kumar Hegde founded Kadamba group of organisations which works in the fields of multi-dimensional socioeconomic activities for the downtrodden, weaker and the vulnerable section of the society, particularly in the rural areas.[5]

Controversies

In January 2017, he was caught on camera assaulting and hitting a doctor for the alleged mistreatment of his mother at a hospital.[8]

In 2018, speaking at a job fair and skill exhibition, he said that he will go ahead with his commitment of developing skills in the youth of India and not bother about the barking stray dogs, referring to groups protesting his earlier "change constitution" remark.[9][10]

In 2018, he criticised the word secular and said that BJP government would "amend the Constitution" to remove the word from the Preamble.[11]

He has said that Taj Mahal was originally a Shiv Mandir known as Tejo Mahalaya. After KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao questioned him over his achievements as a Union Minister, Hegde referred to Rao as "a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady".[12]

In January 2019, he made a misogynistic comment against women entering the Sabarimala temple, which does not admit women, as a "daylight rape on Hindus".[13]

In March 2019, he triggered controversy by calling the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, a “hybrid product that can be found only in Congress laboratory”. He said Gandhi claims to be a Brahmin “despite being born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother”.[14][15]

In September 2019, he once again triggered a controversy by calling the former IAS officer S. Sasikanth Senthil a traitor and asking him to go to Pakistan.[16][17]

In February 2020, Hegde triggered another controversy by stating that the freedom fight led by Mahatma Gandhi was a drama. He attacked Gandhi by questioning how such a person be called a 'Mahatma'. He again stated that the freedom movement in India was staged with the consent and support of the British.[18][19][20][21]

References
  1. "Who is Anant Kumar Hegde?". The Indian Express. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  2. "Who is Anant Kumar Hegde?". The Indian Express. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. "About Anantkumar Hegde". Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. "PM Modi likely to drop two ministers, induct Lingayat and ST leaders from Karnataka in December". The Times of India. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  5. "Shri Anant Kumar Hegde" (PDF). Skill Development portal, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2018.
  6. "Hegde,Shri Anant Kumar Dattatreya". Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. "Karnataka Lawmaker And Taekwondo Expert Ananthkumar Hegde Becomes Minister Of State". NDTV.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  8. "New Minister Slapped Doctor On Camera. He Knows Tae Kwon Do". NDTV.com. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  9. "Anantkumar Hegde's 'barking dogs' remark angers Dalits". The Hindu. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  10. "Prakash Raj calls Anantkumar Hegde 'barking dog' remark attack on Dalits, minister denies". The Indian Express. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  11. "List of BJP leaders who made controversial remarks - Anant Kumar Hegde's controversial comments on secularism". The Economic Times. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  12. "Guy who ran behind Muslim lady: Modi mantri Anant Kumar Hegde on Karnataka Congress chief".
  13. Chauhan, Chanchal (2 January 2019). "India Today". Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  14. Pereira, Stacy (30 January 2019). "Anant Kumar Hegde's New Shocker Has 'Hybrid Specimen' Slight Aimed at Rahul Gandhi". News18. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  15. Express News Service (30 January 2019). "After 'Hindu girl' row, Ananth Kumar Hegde's 'hybrid breed' attack on Rahul Gandhi". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  16. "'Traitor' tag on dejected IAS officer". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  17. "Go to Pakistan and fight Indian govt, former union minister Ananthkumar Hegde slams former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthi". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  18. ANI (3 February 2020). "BJP's Anantkumar Hegde calls Mahatma Gandhi's freedom struggle a 'drama'". India Today. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  19. "BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde calls Mahatma Gandhi's freedom struggle a 'drama'". National Herald. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  20. D P Satish (3 February 2020). "Waiting for PM Modi's Comment, Says Congress After BJP MP Terms Gandhi's Freedom Struggle a 'Drama'". News18. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  21. "Karnataka/ BJP leader Anant Kumar Hegde calls Gandhi's freedom struggle a drama, says: 'How such people are called Mahatma'". DBPOST. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
Lok Sabha
Preceded by
G. Devaraya Naik		 Member of Parliament
for Uttara Kannada
1996–1999		 Succeeded by
Margaret Alva
Preceded by
Margaret Alva		 Member of Parliament
for Uttara Kannada
2004 – Present		 Incumbent
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