Indian MP attends parliament in Hitler costume.

Pedro_P

Naramalli Sivaprasad warns failure to boost funds for his state will lead to PM’s downfall


▼ Naramalli Sivaprasad arrives at parliament in New Delhi dressed as Adolf Hitler. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
An MP in Indiahas attended parliament dressed as Adolf Hitler to campaign for more funds for his state.
Naramalli Sivaprasad, an actor turned politician, frequently dresses up for parliamentary sittings. On Thursday, the Telegu Desam party MP appeared in a brown suit with a swastika armband and wore a narrow moustache.
He said the costume was meant to send a warning to the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to grant special economic assistance to his state of Andhra Pradesh.
“I started as a soldier in the German army and earned great respect,” he said, impersonating Hitler, “but I was greedy for power and as a result became responsible for World War II, which resulted in the death of several [tens of millions of] people and I also killed myself.”
He went on: “My suggestion to Modi is not to go down that way. He has already cheated Andhra Pradesh and [the state’s chief minister] Chandrababu Naidu. If he doesn’t repent then he will see his downfall.”
The TDP broke away from Modi’s governing coalition in March in the row over funding for Andhra Pradesh, which has been pushing for special economic assistance.
Sivaprasad has previously appeared in parliament dressed as a farmer, a cattle herder and a Muslim cleric, and in women’s clothes to protest against Modi’s decision to withdraw high-value  banknotesfrom circulation, which he said disproportionately hurt women.
Sivaprasad’s latest stunt sparked bemusement but little outrage in a country where Hitler does not carry the same inflammatory associations as elsewhere. An ice-cream brand, a cafeand several menswear shopsaround the country have been named after the Nazi dictator. Mugs and  other merchandisebearing his image can be purchased on e-commerce sites.

A clothes shop in Ahmedabad, India, in 2012. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
“Indians have never experienced what Hitler was, unlike the west and Russians,” said Anirudh Deshpande, an associate professor of history at Delhi University. “Most are quite ignorant about him and the rest are adulatory, seeing him as a great nationalist who brought glory to his country, which makes him a hero in the eyes of many here.”
MS Golwalkar, who was a key ideological figure in the Hindu nationalist movement, praised Hitler and drew on his race theories in formulating his own idea of a Hindurashtra, or nation, Deshpande said.
Although the Indian army was part of the allied forces that fought Nazism, Subhas Chandra Bose, a revered nationalist leader, met Hitler and sought his assistance to raise a force during the war to fight against British imperial control of his country.

► Source

soothsayer

Wonder why he wore that costume to drive home his message. Really bereft of ideas1 could he not think of someone else?

dilwale

The message was rightly conveyed

karthikcet

dilwale 14-8-2018 09:09 PM
The message was rightly conveyed

I see what you did there

Rushcourt71

In some countries his actions would result in being seen as anti jewish and he would be forced to either apologise, be fined or even be attacked in the press and other mass media.

You don't have to believe in something or even know what it represents to be accused of inflaming public opinion in places where there is history about its image and association.  

KH_Hirsch

Simply said, he would be arrested in Germany for showing up in such uniform and the swastika armband. Having said that there is a book out with the title "Look Who's Back" which is German satirical novel about Adolf Hitler returning into today's society by Timur Vermes, published in 2012.

chanakyakripa

Hitler is a universally hated figure for causing death to millions. Nobody adores him except for those with b#####it in head. Subhas bose only asked for help of axis powers for fighting the British for freedom of his motherland. There was no ideological agreement. Turning up today in parliament for driving home whatsover msg is just bad understanding of international sentiments. This happens when we send such idiots as our representatives.

Quak3

Sigh. I wish people would just stop doing this kind of stupid & mindless provocation.
History is neither joke nor fiction.
And any analogies referring to hitler or the nazis are just bound to boomerang right back into your face.

ramyasri8

Hitler planted hatred, supporting his racist theories committed many atrocities. How can anyone conclude that a freedom fighter like S C Bose seeking assistance would mean that supporting Hitler's racist theories?? These days HISTORY is being interpreted according to their needs and it's just not only sheer foolishness but also DANGEROUS.

Srinivas1939

Extremism is a hydra headed monster.Any manifestation of bigotry and intolerance needs to be condemned.