Reiterating the regard the Central and the State Governments have for social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, Minister for Social and Backward Classes Welfare Kota Srinivas Poojary said here on Saturday that the CPI(M) in Kerala and the Congress have hatched a conspiracy to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP on the non-selection of a tableau of Narayana Guru proposed by Kerala Government for the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
Talking to reporters following his visit to Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple, established by Sree Narayana Guru, here, Mr. Poojary said there is a set procedure involved in selection of tableaux for the Republic Day parade and every year a few are selected. Non-selection of tableaux has nothing to do with Prime Minister and the Central Government.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Poojary said, is among several people across the country who hold Sree Narayana Guru in high esteem for the latter’s contribution towards empowerment of oppressed class and other marginalised sections of the society. Mr. Modi visited Shivagiri in Kerala in 2015 and affirmed the commitment of Central Government to principles of equality professed by the reformer. The Central Government and the Karnataka Government will support all activities related to ideals professed by Narayana Guru.
The Kerala Government, he said, was not revealing the actual reason for non selection of its tableau and is speaking about the presence of Sree Nayarana Guru’s idol in the float in order to give a wrong picture to people. The Congress, which presently has no issue against the State Government, is using it to criticise the Central and the State Governments. “People have to understand the conspiracy to malign us,” he said.
He will explain about the conspiracy to senior Congress leader B. Janardhan Poojary, who was instrumental in renovation of Gokarnanatha Temple, the Minister said.
Refusing to react on the demand by former Congress MLC Ivan D’Souza for his resignation and that of Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar as they allegedly gave wrong picture about the tableaux selection process, Mr. Poojary said Mr. D’Souza has to explain reasons for sudden cancellation of visit of the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the inauguration of Dasara festival at the Kudroli temple.
