Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 19 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly R Ashoka on Sunday accused Congress of supporting those who hail Pakistan, and oppose those who say Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Ashoka’s comments come amid the Karnataka government denying permission for a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) centenary march in Chittapur, citing concerns over law and order. The local authorities cited concerns over maintaining law and order in the region as the reason for denying permission.
Continuing his criticism, the BJP leader claimed that the BJP never banned Friday namaz prayers despite people blocking the roads, but the Congress-led state government is banning the RSS march.
“Every Friday in Bengaluru’s markets, people perform Namaz and block the roads. When the BJP government was in power, it never banned that. But if the RSS goes out for a path sanchalan (route march), they do not allow it. The RSS conducts path sanchalan only after obtaining permission. All BJP leaders’ children definitely go to the RSS. In that case, have the children of Congress leaders been involved in any struggle? In which Dalit organisation’s struggles have the leaders’ children participated?” he questioned.
He further claimed that the actions taken against the RSS will backfire on the Congress in the future.
“We have never imposed restrictions on any organisation’s programs. Similarly, the Congress should also behave. They should first understand what the RSS’s activities are”, he said.
Criticising the inaction over repairing roads of Bengaluru, the assembly’s LoP said, “The BJP government provided Rs 7-8 thousand crore to BBMP. Even now, road repairs are being done with the same funds. Not a single project has been implemented in the current government. The government has come to a situation where it has to beg. The people of Bengaluru have to asphalt their own roads ahead.”
The BJP-led government repaid the Rs 15,000 crore loan made by the previous Congress, he said.
“Let CM Siddaramaiah answer this, too. Rs 33 thousand crore has to be paid to contractors; even to give that much money, there is no money in the treasury”, he claimed.
Earlier today, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge alleged that the RSS had been quiet for a long time and suddenly requested permission for the march after he received abusive calls and death threats from their goons.
“You should ask the RSS about the timing of the march. They kept quiet for so long, and suddenly, when I got abusive calls and death threats from their goons, they wanted to prove a point and do the march there themselves… If you’re going to abuse a public representative, other people and organisations will also be encouraged or emboldened to do the same. It’s my duty to ensure that nothing untoward happens…,” he told ANI. Kharge represents the Chittapur constituency, where the RSS wants to hold the march.
The Karnataka High Court directed the RSS to file a fresh petition on the issue after the organisation asked the march to be shifted on November 2. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on October 24. (ANI)