The controversy over remarks made by Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde on secularism and the Constitution refuses to die down even after he apologised in Parliament.
While BJP’s Dalit leader V. Srinivas Prasad took exception to the remark in Mysuru on Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of Opposition M. Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Minister on Sunday.
Mr. Prasad, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP last year, flayed two party members for their recent remarks on the Constitution exposing the growing disquiet on the issue among Dalits in the party. Mr. Hegde and former MLC G. Madhusudhan came under sharp attack from Mr. Prasad. He dubbed them as fundamentalists lacking basic knowledge of the Constitution.
Asking party members to refrain from making derogatory remarks against the Constitution, he also urged the party leadership to warn erring members against loose talk. “Dalits revere B.R. Ambedkar and such derisive remarks hurt the community,” he added.
To a question on the BJP promoting Hindutva in an aggressive manner, Mr. Prasad said people of India can see through any such hidden agenda. He said: “Statements like changing the Constitution is born out of ignorance. The Constitution has been amended 121 times, but in the interests of the nation.”
Meanwhile, in an indirect reference to Mr. Hegde, Mr. Siddaramaiah said those criticising the Constitution are unfit to represent people. “People’s representatives, who are sworn in in the name of Constitution, should not have a personal agenda,” he said, while accepting the Person of the Year award presented to him by Bengaluru Press Club here.
At another event, Mr. Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not allow Ministers, who have no control over their tongue, to continue in his Cabinet. “Instead of addressing problems faced by the people, Union Ministers have been diverting the country’s attention towards trivial issues,” he said.
