Mangaluru: The war of words between leaders of BJP and the ruling Congress hit a new low with state unit president B S Yeddyurappa accusing Congress general secretary incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, of resorting to politics of vendetta to crack down on BJP workers as well as members of RSS, and dividing communities through discord as his party does in Kerala.
Addressing a rally here, the former chief minister said: “After K C Venugopal took over as Karnataka in-charge of Congress, he along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seem to believe that the Congress could win elections by creating confusion, murders and splitting communities. Ministers U T Khader and Ramanath Rai are also working with them and responsible for this (communal tension in the coastal region). He cautioned Mr Venugopal that “tactics employed in Kerala would not work in Karnataka.”
Mr Yeddyurappa, who visited the residence of slain RSS worker Sharath Kumar Madivala and offered condolences to his kin, alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated after the Congress was voted to power in 2013 with the murder of more than 24 RSS and BJP workers. “The real culprits are not arrested and punished. The assailants get protection. KFD is behind these," he alleged adding that officers of NIA would be able to unearth the truth in these cases.
He said, “On July 17, BJP MPs from the state will visit Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and brief him about the developments here. If necessary, we will also speak to the PM. We want to hold a massive rally in Mangaluru after the monsoon and invite Rajnath Singh to the event. We want to demand that the case (Sharath’s murder) be handed over to NIA,” while cautioning officials not to harass innocent people by booking cases. “Cases have been booked against those who were participating in the procession. Police officials visit the house and harass family members. We will not tolerate this. It is human rights violation. If this continues, I will sit in Sathyagraha here by taking leave from parliament session,” he added.
He said BJP leaders and workers would take to the streets if police register a case against RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and arrest him. “The state government will be responsible if there is any law and order problem,” he added.
BJP eying all 13 seats in coast
The state BJP plans to make the most of law and order problems in Bantwal and neighbouring areas to revive its fortunes in the run-up to next year’s elections to the Legislative Assembly, and win all 13 seats in the coastal region.
For several decades, the coastal region has been a bastion of the BJP, but the party lost its grip during Assembly polls in 2013, winning only two out of 13 seats against 11 of Congress, and one independent. With these 11 Congress legislators spending several crores of rupees on development schemes in their respective constituencies, local BJP leaders have a tough task on hand to regain control over the region. Recent clashes and tension in the region, however, could be a god-send for the BJP to resume control over coastal districts, according to sources in the state unit of BJP.
Sources said soon, top leaders of the state unit would announce a state-wide agitation against the state government for death of BJP and RSS workers during the last four years. The leaders would also organize a mega protest rally in Bengaluru as state unit president president B.S.Yeddyurappa has instructed party general secretaries to organize one in Bengaluru, sources added.
With no major corruption related issues against the state government, the leaders have decided to focus on Bantwal unrest and killing of RSS worker Sharath Madivala to nail the state government for its failure to maintain the law and order, sources added.
