Hubballi: Accusing the BJP of charging actor-turned-politician, Ramya with sedition only to gain political mileage, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday strongly backed the young Congress leader saying she had not committed any crime by praising the people of Pakistan.
“She spoke in support of the people of Pakistan because they looked after her very well during her visit to that country for a meeting of young parliamentarians from SAARC nations. We don’t need lessons in patriotism from the BJP,” he asserted, speaking to reports here.
Recalling that BJP leaders had themselves given similar statements in the past in praise of Pakistan, he pointed out that former deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani, had called Mohammad Ali Jinnah a secular leader and PM Narendra Modi himself visited the house of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend his grand-daughter's wedding. As for the BJP’s attack on Amnesty International, he said the complainant was not even present at the venue when the alleged anti-national slogans were raised at the event organised by the NGO. “The BJP is only trying to mislead the people in this case although the RSS does not care to display the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar in its offices,” he added caustically.
Ridiculing the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade launched by BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa, the CM claimed the BJP had never been supportive of social justice and had opposed the recommendation of the Mandal Commission report on giving reservation to backward communities
Asked about the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of rationalist M.M. Kalburgi, he said everything possible was being done to find his assailants. He revealed that a research centre would be established in the name of the educationist, who is believed to have been killed for his views.
