Former Karnataka president of the BJP and Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel said in Mangaluru on January 30 that whoever deserted the BJP ahead of the May 2023 Assembly elections and earlier will return to the party.
In an informal chat with mediapersons, Mr. Kateel said that some Congressmen will also join the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha election.
In response to a question whether Congress MLA Laxman Savadi from Athani constituency and Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha MLA G. Janardhana Reddy from Gangavathi, who were with BJP earlier, will return to the BJP, he said, “Wait and watch. Whoever deserted the BJP will return. Along with them some Congressmen will also join the BJP.”
The former Karnataka BJP president alleged that ever since the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah came to power in the State, it was following an ‘anti-Hindu policy’.
“Hindu activists are being harassed continuously by booking them under the Goonda Act. The Congress government did not declare a holiday for inauguration of Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. It got officials to remove the Hanuman dhawja (flag) from a flag post in Keragodu village. The government has insulted the Ram bhakts who were caned at Keragodu. The government is curbing Hindu activists,” he alleged.
“Whenever Siddaramaiah comes to power, Hindu activists are harassed. Mr. Siddaramaiah is an intellectual. He is a Communist within the Congress. He does not have Congress mindset,” Mr. Kateel alleged.
The government could have settled the Keragodu issue amicably. But it acted unilaterally by removing the flag. Oofficials have been made scapegoats in the incident, he said.
