Rahul calls BJP ‘colonisers’, says party dividing people

Gandhi said that it made him happy to see Siddaramaiah and state Congress president, DK Shivakumar, hugging on the stage.

Former All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tore into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling them “colonisers” and pursuing a path that “infuses hate and divides people.”

KPCC president DK Shivakumar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, during the latter's 75th birthday celebrations, in Davangere on Wednesday. (PTI)

“The Congress government whereas has brought people together, created harmony in the state..the BJP government is dividing people and spreading hatred in this beautiful state,” Gandhi said while addressing a gathering in Davangere, 261km from Bengaluru. The Wayanad MP was in the state to attend an event to celebrate the 75th birthday of leader of opposition in Karnataka assembly, Siddaramaiah, which Gandhi said was unusual for him as he doesn’t normally go to birthday celebrations.

He said that the Congress believes in languages, culture and different histories that make ‘India’ while the BJP “wants to impose one idea on Karnataka (and) they want to colonise Karnataka”.

Gandhi said that it made him happy to see Siddaramaiah and state Congress president, DK Shivakumar, hugging on the stage.

The political affairs committee (PAC) on Tuesday night had come down heavily on dissident voices within the Congress that fuelled the growing differences between two of its most important leaders in the state ahead of the assembly elections.

Gandhi said that the Congress will “fight unitedly”, hoping to broker a truce between the leaders who each want to be projected as the ‘next chief minister’ of Karnataka.

“Today I was very happy to see DK Shivakumar Ji and Siddaramaiah Ji hugging on stage,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi recalled the achievements of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government and its schemes and said that the party will work for the weakest in society if it came back to power.

“You gave direction and vision to the people of Karnataka,” Gandhi said while praising the Siddaramaiah-led government between 2013 to 2018.

Gandhi also complimented Shivakumar for being one of the hardest workers of the party. “DK Shivakumar has done tremendous work for the Congress,” he said.

“Shivakumar and me are united and have no differences,” Siddaramaiah said.

Shivakumar who has been a hard-core party worker, is hoping that all his years of being the ‘troubleshooter’ and ‘strongman’ for the Congress will help him achieve his dream of becoming the chief minister.

“Today, you and we are all fortunate that it has been 75 years since this country got its freedom. And in the same year we are celebrating our leader Siddaramaiah’s birthday. It is celebration for the country, celebration for Congress, Siddaramaiah, you and us,” Shivakumar said as the crowd roared in support.

Despite the show of unity,speculations have been rife that both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been aiming for the top post. “The party high command can resolve this if they come up with a way that both can become chief ministers for specified terms. But the high command is not doing anything about it and this fight even before elections will hit us badly,” said one party worker aware of the developments, who did not wish to be named.

Shivakumar has been trying hard to get the local legislators to back his bid to become chief minister but has been reserved on how invested he should be, if the party does not help broker a truce or an accepted compromise formula.

“Why will Shivakumar take up big responsibilities like raising funds if the party is not willing to clarify their stand on Siddaramaiah,” the worker cited above said, requesting not to be named.

Siddaramaiah is from the Kuruba community and Shivakumar is a Vokkaliga who are believed to be the second largest caste group in Karnataka and are found in large numbers in the Old Mysuru Region.

Meanwhile,taking potshots at Congress, Karnataka minister for higher education Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday shared a video of some of Siddaramaiah’s supporters opening and spraying a champagne bottle on his Twitter.

“Siddaramaiah has once again proved the original nature of the Congress party by holding ‘Festival of lies’ on the pretext of his 75th birthday. On the other hand, DK Shivakumar, who was screaming that no person’s worship will be allowed, has been given an indirect warning that he will be sidelined,” Narayan said in a post.