BJP politicizing deaths on orders from Shah, says Siddaramaiah

BELTHAGADY/PUTTUR: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday slammed the BJP and the Sangh Parivar for politicizing the deaths of

Deepak Rao

in Surathkal and Paresh Mesta in Honnavar, alleging the opposition party was acting on the directions of party national president, Amit Shah. Siddaramaiah alleged Shah wanted communal tension in the state to gain political mileage.

As proof, he pointed to the video of BJP MP from Mysuru, Pratap Simha. The MP was caught on tape reportedly saying Shah had directed party workers to foment trouble to strengthen the party’s vote bank. “The BJP has been capitalising on the deaths of innocent lower middle-class individuals to polarize society,” Siddaramaiah said, after launching a number of development programmes in Puttur. “If one sees the graph of communal deaths in coastal districts, all those killed hail from low income groups. No youngster from the elite class gets killed.”

He also likened the Sangh Parivar to an agent deployed to divide society on the basis of religion. He alleged that communalism was the only agenda on which the BJP was campaigning. “Am I not a Hindu? Are minister B Ramanath Rai and Congress MLA from Puttur Shakuntala Shetty not Hindus?” he asked. He urged the common man to be tolerant towards all religions and not to fall for the provocations of the BJP.

Referring to incidents of communal tension after the state government decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti, Siddaramaiah claimed BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, Shobha Karandlaje, who now lead the tirade against the celebration, had hailed the Sultan of Mysore when they were in the KJP – the party they formed after breaking away from the BJP. He said now that they are back in the BJP fold, they are detracting from their earlier claims.

Rs 10 lakh compensation

Siddaramaiah also ridiculed insinuations made by the BJP that he is greeted by dead bodies of Hindu activists at places he visits as part of his Nava Karnataka Nirmana Yatra, while also announcing a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of Abdul Basheer, who passed away on Sunday. Basheer was attacked in retaliation to an attack on Hindu activist Deepak Rao, who died on Friday. Siddaramaiah had begun his yatra in Honnavar, Uttara Kannada district, landing there shortly after Mesta was killed.

Speaking to reporters on his arrival as part of a daylong whirlwind visit of

Dakshina Kannada

district, Siddaramaiah condoled the death of Basheer. He said the law will take its own course with regard to the murders of Deepak and Basheer and police have already made arrests.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.