Accusing the State BJP unit of taking an anti-minority stand, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the BJP, which first targeted Minister K.J. George in the suicide case of Deputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathi, is now targeting Minister Roshan Baig in the murder of RSS worker Rudresh.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, he said that the BJP has maintained an anti-minority position which has now become more evident after the party began targeting two Ministers from the minority community.
Taking exception to the allegation made by BJP MP and former Minister Shobha Karandlaje against Mr. Baig that he was behind the murder of Rudresh, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao asked the MP either to prove her claim or tender a public apology.
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“If Ms. Karandlaje has any proof of the involvement of Mr. Baig in the murder, she should first lodge a complaint with the police, else she must tender an apology for trying to defame the image of a senior Minister,” he said.
On the controversial issue of Common Civil Code, the former Minister said that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was raking up such issues only to divert public attention from core issues such as development.
Stating that development was zero during the NDA rule in the country, as it had not fulfilled any promise made during its election campaign, he said that the BJP was now raising issues such as triple talaq and Common Civil Code to hide its failures.
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Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao made it clear that in a country like India which has people from many faiths, it was not possible to frame a common law for all Indians.
With regard to triple talaq, he shot back at the BJP saying that the same Sangh Parivar, which vehemently opposed reforms in the Hindu Code Bill for giving justice to Hindu women, is now showing concern for Muslim women by raising the triple talaq issue.
Terming the BJP a party of hypocrisy, he said that on the one hand it talks of protecting cows while on the other, beef exports are increasing substantially during its rule. “I dare the BJP to ban beef export if it really has concern for the cow,” he said.
Admitting that the coastal Karnataka was becoming a hotbed for communal elements, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the Congress would be holding a convention for social harmony in Mangaluru on November 29 which was the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Earlier, he participated in a party workers’ meet.
District in-charge Minister M.B. Patil and other party leaders were present.
Either to prove your claim or tender a public apology, Minister tells
BJP MP