‘Govt’s shrewd silence responsible for instigating communal issues in Karnataka’
‘Govt’s shrewd silence responsible for instigating communal issues in Karnataka’
Blaming the BJP government’s silence for fomenting communal issues in Karnataka, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday gave a month-long ultimatum to the government to end such negative trends. Failing to do so, he warned that the JD(S) would launch a serious campaign against the government.
Speaking to reporters after the party led a protest at Freedom Park here against rising prices of essential commodities as well as petrol, diesel and cooking gas, Mr Kumaraswamy lashed out at using social media to disturb communal harmony. expressed concern over the right-wing elements. ,
Expressing dissatisfaction with a call given by a leader of a right-wing organization to stop Hindus from hiring Muslim drivers for pilgrimage to Hindu religious centres, Mr Kumaraswamy said such a call would affect the transport system itself.
“The shrewd silence of the government is responsible for all such issues. Such communal issues would not have come to the fore if the government had registered cases against such people and arrested them by this time,” he said and wondered, Otherwise, what is the purpose of the existence of the government?”
Addressing party workers on the occasion, he said that communal issues in the state were deliberately being raised by the BJP and right-wing groups to draw public attention against the steep rise in the prices of essential commodities as well as petroleum products. .
Mr. Kumaraswamy directly challenged right-wing organizations including the RSS to raise their voice against price rise instead of creating communal divisions on issues like hijab and halal.
He said the government, which had prevented the party from taking out padyatras against the price hike, had allowed Shoba Yatra (religious procession) by right-wing organizations.
He alleged that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who has kept silent on the inconvenience caused to the people due to the price hike, was supporting the communal struggle in the state. Pointing out that the BJP had ridiculed the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his silence, he asked, “Should we now treat Mr Bommai the same way?”