Congress aiding, abetting communal strife in Mangaluru, says Karnataka BJP chief

Bengaluru, May 29 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has accused the Congress-led government of "aiding and abetting" communal strife in the state’s coastal region of Mangaluru.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters in Bengaluru on Thursday, state President B.Y. Vijayendra commented on the ongoing unrest in Mangaluru, stating, “This Congress-led government headed by CM Siddaramaiah finds happiness in appeasing the minority community. There is not an iota of concern for maintaining law and order in the state.”

“The developments are clearly aimed at deepening communal divides, and the state government is aiding and abetting the strife and encouraging them,” Vijayendra alleged.

Further commenting on the situation in Mangaluru, he said, “When Home Minister G. Parameshwara visited Mangaluru, members of a particular community confronted him upon learning that he intended to visit the family of murdered Hindu activist Suhas Shetty. They gheraoed the minister and threatened him not to visit Shetty’s residence. As a result, the Home Minister left without meeting the family.”

Mangaluru has witnessed a mob lynching, two murders, and multiple stabbing incidents linked to communal tensions recently. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders across the Mangaluru region until the evening of May 30.

Vijayendra warned the Congress government about filing cases against BJP leaders and workers. “The state government must stop threatening our leaders and filing cases against our party workers. This is a warning to them,” he said.

Referring to a recent protest in Kalaburagi, Vijayendra said, “We staged a successful protest in Kalaburagi against the state government and in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge. The protest was held to condemn the illegal detention of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who was held at a guest house in Chittapur. Local Congress leaders also allegedly attempted to assault him.”

He continued, “During the protest, our MLC N. Ravikumar made a comment about the Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner. He later expressed regret, clarifying that the comment was unintentional. Despite his apology, a police complaint was filed and an FIR registered against him, allegedly with the tacit support of the Congress party.”

“They are trying to defame Ravikumar and intimidate him. This will not bring dignity to the Congress government. If they were honest, the government should have filed an FIR against the Congress leaders who illegally detained Dalit leader Narayanaswamy,” he said.

“They should also investigate why concerned officials turned a blind eye to the incident. Instead, the Congress is targeting the Backward Class and Dalit leaders of the BJP. But BJP leaders will not be cowed by these tactics,” Vijayendra declared.

“I want to warn the state government that they will not remain in power forever. The opposition deserves respect. It is the duty of the ruling party to treat opposition leaders with dignity. Their days in power are numbered; they will receive a fitting response soon,” he added.

When asked about actor Kamal Haasan's controversial remark, Vijayendra responded, “I understand Kamal Haasan’s love for the Tamil language. But it is inappropriate to belittle the Kannada language while expressing such sentiments.”

“Tamil has a rich history spanning thousands of years, and so does Kannada. His remarks have hurt the sentiments of the Kannada-speaking people. Moreover, his refusal to apologise even after facing objections shows arrogance,” he said.

“Kamal Haasan should be more careful. He is a well-known actor across the country. He should not sow seeds of hatred between Tamil and Kannada communities,” Vijayendra cautioned. Kamal Haasan had stated that the Kannada language descended from Tamil.

--IANS

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