The members of the Block Congress Scheduled Caste Unit staged a dharna near the War Memorial here on Wednesday against the recent alleged rape and murder of a minor in Vijayapura and the “controversial remarks” of the Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde.
Addressing the protesters here, Satish Amin, president, Udupi Block Congress Committee, said the BJP, which had staged several protests over the recent death of Paresh Mesta at Kumta in Uttara Kannada district, was subdued over the rape and death of a minor.
BJP MPs Nalin Kumar Kateel, Shobha Karandlaje, and Pratap Simha lost no time in politicising all incidents even before investigations were over. Mr. Hegde was making statements which were aimed at disturbing communal harmony. Now he had described “secular people” as those who do not have an identity of their parental blood and that they should identity themselves with their religion and caste, he said.
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Mr. Hegde had spoken of changing the Constitution for this purpose. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Mr. Hegde for his anti-Dalit, anti-people, and communal comments, Mr. Amin said.
Meenakshi Bannanje, president, Udupi City Municipal Council, Sandhya Tilakraj, vice-president, Chandrika Poojary, Yatish Karkera, Ramesh Kanchan, Janardhan Bhandarkar, and Janardhan Tonse, Congress leaders, were present.