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‘Karnataka was a terrorist port during BJP tenure’: Congress' Ramalinga Reddy

Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy alleged on Wednesday that the state was a 'terrorist port' during the BJP tenure.

Published on: Mar 7, 2024, 10:31:20 IST
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Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy alleged on Wednesday that the state was a 'terrorist port' during the BJP tenure.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

"What did the previous government do to avoid terrorist acts in the state?" Reddy asked, responding to criticism against the Congress government following a blast at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram cafe and pro-Pak slogan allegations.

"I'm not justifying the bomb blast in Bengaluru. Action should be taken against those who were involved in the blast, they should be put in jail and given ideal punishment," the minister said.

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He further claimed that criminal activities have declined under the Congress government compared to the previous BJP government's tenure.

"There were serial bomb blasts in 6 places during the tenure of the BJP government. There were blasts near Chinnaswamy Stadium, Malleswaram, Airport, and Mangalore when there was a BJP government. Terrorists were in the way of the BJP government. Bomb blasts and criminal activity have been very low during our period as compared to the BJP. Next, we will take full control. The police know what to do, should they ask all the BJP members to do their work?" Reddy said.

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He accused the BJP of dividing people for votes. "The favoring of minorities is all a lie. The people in the country are all the same. The BJP divides the people for votes," he said.

Responding to a question about some ministers defending those who allegedly raised pro-Pak slogans outside Vidhan Soudha, the minister said, "Go and ask whoever said that, slogans were not shouted."

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Earlier on March 4, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the blast probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has re-registered the case and started an investigation.

Over half a dozen people got injured after a low-intensity blast took place on March 1 in the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's Whitefield area.

  • Yamini C S
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Yamini C S

    Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More