Karnataka BJP intensify protest Congress leaders’ statements on Ayodhya

Former Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel alleged that Hariprasad’s statement indicates that Congress would repeat such a purported act again.

Bengaluru

Congress leader B K Hariprasad had on Wednesday suggested that a Godhra-like situation could occur in Karnataka, urging the state government to be on high alert. (HT Archives)

Former Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party chief and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday demanded the arrest of Congress leader B K Hariprasad for his statement that a Godhra-like incident might be orchestrated in Karnataka ahead of the January 22 Ram temple consecration, even as Home Minister G Parameshwara assured that the Congress government would not allow incidents like the Godhra carnage to happen in the state.

Kateel accused the Congress of orchestrating the Godhra train fire of February 27, 2002 in which 59 kar sevaks and Hindu pilgrims died. He alleged that Hariprasad’s statement indicates that Congress would repeat such a purported act again..

“The Congress was behind the Godhra incident. They hatched a plot to bring down the then-state government of Gujarat led by (Narendra) Modi. The Congress will repeat such an act once again. Hence, Hariprasad should be arrested,” he said.

Hariprasad on Wednesday had suggested that a Godhra-like situation could occur in Karnataka, urging the state government to be on high alert. He argued that there was a need for adequate arrangements for people travelling to Ayodhya for the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22.

The Congress MLC defended his remarks, saying, “The fundamental duty of any government is to protect the lives and property of its people. When you go back to the history of the BJP, when there was Godhra and Pulwama, a lot of disturbance (happened) and lives were lost. The BJP is a habitual offender and it can do anything. In Ayodhya, it is not a religious programme but a political program. CMs of MP, Rajasthan are ‘kar sevaks’...This is my personal statement, not the party’s.”

In response, Parameshwara said, “The home ministry does not have any information in this regard. If any information is received, the department is capable of handling the situation.”

Regarding the controversial statement by the Congress MLC, Parameshwara said, “If the need arises, let us call Hariprasad and ask him about the statement. Our department knows how to handle the situation.”

On former MLA Yatindra Siddaramaiah’s controversial statement that if India becomes a ‘Hindu rashtra’, it will become like Pakistan and Afghanistan under a dictatorship, Kateel insisted that India has always been a Hindu country.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP intensified its protest against the arrest of a 59-year-old kar sevak in a three-decade-old case, with leaders conducting campaigns in Bengaluru, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru. Karnataka BJP state general secretary V Sunil Kumar, former deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa, and former MLA CT Ravi led the campaign.

During his protest in front of the Sadashivanagar police station here, Sunil Kumar was taken into preventive custody by the police on Thursday morning.

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, R Ashoka, accused chief minister Siddaramaiah, his son and former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah, and Congress leader Hariprasad of instigating unrest in the state. Ashoka questioned the arrest of Srikanth Poojari, an auto-rickshaw driver facing health issues and multiple criminal cases dating back to 1992, describing it as indicative of biased actions by the government.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, Ashoka said, “Amid nationwide attention, the arrest of kar sevak Srikanth Poojari has become a focal point of controversy, with chief minister Siddaramaiah persistently targeting him.” He further said, “Despite his role as a kar sevak, Poojari faces numerous criminal cases, dating back to his first booking in 1992 during kar seva activity.”

Describing Poojari as an innocent auto-rickshaw driver facing various health issues, Ashoka questioned CM Siddaramaiah’s decision to arrest a kar sevak who is battling health issues, especially with the consecration of the Ram Mandir approaching.