Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson V.S. Ugrappa on Friday charged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with taking the country towards anarchy through its whimsical style of administration in scant disregard for the Constitution.
Citing the example of allocating the Forest, Ecology and Environment portfolio to Anand Singh, Mr. Ugrappa told reporters here that the BJP, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, and State president Nalin Kumar Kateel owe an explanation to Karnataka, but unfortunately both have little knowledge of the Constitution.
A person accused of committing forest offences being made the Minister of the very same department was unheard of, Mr. Ugrappa said, and demanded Mr. Singh’s immediate removal.
Training his guns against the Union government, Mr. Ugrappa said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, instead of exhibiting statesmanship is behaving like a petty politician. He is “Aadhunika Bhasmasura,” Mr. Ugrappa said.
He regretted the BJP was taking Pakistan’s name for every now and then. If the government was ready to reclaim Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the Congress would support the government.
Having failed to bring back black money allegedly stashed in Switzerland, and failing to curb corruption and terrorism and create jobs, the party resorted to the abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq abolition, Ram Janmabhoomi, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Mr. Ugrappa said.
He noted Article 5 to 10 of the Constitution speak about citizenship while Article 11 provides for legislation to offer citizenship by the Parliament. The Act was amended six times, including 2019. Any amendment should be in conformity with Article 14, equality before law. No country in the world has provision to offer citizenship on the grounds of religion, he said.
On a SC verdict on reservation in promotions, Mr. Ugrappa said the government, if necessary, should bring an amendment to the Constitution to ensure reservation in appointment and promotion to SCs and STs. Otherwise, Congress would launch nationwide peaceful agitation, he warned.
