If Muslims do not control their youth, Hindus will: KS Eshwarappa

Complementing police for swift action in Shivamogga district, Eshwarappa urged the elders of the Muslim community to guide their youngsters, who, he said, ‘have chosen the wrong path’.

Former minister and senior Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday issued a warning stating that since Muslims “live in Hindustan”, it was “their duty to cooperate with Hindu festivals” .

Former minister and senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader KS Eshwarappa (HT Photo)

“Ganesh festival is coming and I am not making any appeal to anyone (to maintain peace). You (Muslims) are in Hindustan and if you come between the Hindu festival of Ganesh, then you will all face problems. I am giving a warning. Why should I make an appeal? It is their duty to cooperate,” Eshwarappa said.

He said that the Muslims have “the right to celebrate their festivals at home” and they “have been allowed to take out processions as well.” Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah slammed Eshwarappa for his remarks, saying he has “no brains” and has made several such irresponsible remarks in the past.

The former minister’s statements come two days after the BJP-led state government came under sharp criticism for leaving out the picture of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in the Independence Day advertisement in all leading media newspapers and including freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s picture.

Eshwarappa had defended the decision, stating that it was a deliberate move as Nehru was the reason for the partition of India.

“They (BJP) put up pictures of Savarkar to which we have no problem. But they put it in a Muslim locality. Why? They also said no to Tipu Sultan’s poster. If you put Savarkar’s picture then allow Tipu Sultan’s picture also,” Siddaramaiah said. The former chief minister added that the BJP creates the mischief and then blames it on the Congress which has no part to play in the entire controversy.

Complementing police for swift action in Shivamogga district , he urged the elders of the Muslim community to guide their youngsters, who have chosen the wrong path.

“Government is making all attempts to maintain peace, I’m not saying all Hindus and Muslims are involved in such things. Hindu society is strong, it is not weak. If Hindu society really stands up, Muslim goondas will not survive, but Hindus don’t want to take law into hands and wants government to take action,” Eshwarappa was reported as saying by PTI.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the police have shown “sample” by taking strong action against miscreants, but still such acts of goondaism and killings are continuing.

“I want to tell elders of Muslim community, I’m not saying all Muslims are goondas. Elders of Muslim community have made efforts for peace in the past, I want to tell them to advise the youngsters who are indulging in goondaism, if not the government will act and they should be ready to face it,” he added.

Noting that he has brought the developments in Shivamogga to the notice of the Chief Minister, he said, the district headquarters town is today peaceful, but such “attempts to kill reflect that the mindset of some ‘Musalman’ goondas and SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) has not changed”.

“The attempts to attack and kill Hindus are continuously on. I have brought this notice to the CM,” he added.

Further observing that people of Shivamogga are peace-loving and Hindus and Muslims there have been living like brothers for long, Eshwarappa said, “I have been a legislator from there for long, but in recent times people have come from outside or from Kerala, and activities of some anti-national organisations have increased, leading to such incidents.”Pointing out that the husband of a Congress corporator in Shivamogga was involved in an earlier incident where V D Savarkar’s photo was torn and insulted, and he is in jail today, he said, The Congress should apologise and urged its leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to act on their party workers involved in such acts.

“Congress’ support to SDPI has led to such a situation in Shivamogga,” he alleged.

Former minister Eshwarappa is not new to controversial statements as earlier also he has made several such remarks.

He had also led the funeral procession of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha Jingade , ignoring all the warnings from the police department. The procession in turn led to clashes between two communities which led to several people being hurt and several properties being damaged, adding to the tensions in one of Karnataka’s most communally sensitive districts.

In May, Eshwarappa (who was a state minister at that time) had also made a remark about the Tricolour “being replaced by the saffron flag”. The remark drew criticism from the Congress who had started a protest, to exert pressure on chief minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai-led state government to remove him from the cabinet .“The agitation is happening because of the adamant stand of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Who is asking for Eshwarappa’s resignation? No one. We want his dismissal. Our appeal is also to governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to dismiss him,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief D K Shivakumar had said.

On April 15, Eshwarappa was forced to step down from the cabinet after a contractor ended his life and blamed the minister for harassing him for 40% commission to release payments for works carried out in Belagavi district in February last year.

(With Agency Inputs)