Condemning Minister of State for Employment and Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde’s statement that secular people do not have an “identity of their parental blood”, the State Congress on Monday alleged that Mr. Hegde is a “messenger of hate” and has been polarising people on communal lines ahead of the State Legislative Assembly elections.
Addressing presspersons here at the party office, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Congress MLC V.S. Ugrappa lambasted Mr. Hegde and said “the Union Minister has lost mental balance”.
“Mr. Hegde is unfit to be a Hindu, and his provocative statements have demonstrated his mental illness. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Mr. Hegde have been making statements to divide communities on communal lines. Mr. Hegde’s “communal agenda” will not work in the upcoming polls,” Mr. Rao said.
“Five-time MP Mr. Hegde was an unknown face before his induction into the Narendra Modi government. What are his contributions to the development of the State? Did he ever speak on Karnataka’s issues in Parliament?, Mr. Rao wondered, terming his contributions s “zero”.
At an event in Yelburga taluk of Koppal district on Sunday, Mr. Hegde had said: “Those claiming to be secular and progressive do not have an identity of their parents and their blood. I will be happy if someone identifies as Muslim, Christian, Brahmin, Lingayat, or Hindu. But doubt will arise if they say they are secular.”
Referring to Mr. Hegde’s statement on changing the Constitution, Mr. Ugrappa challenged the BJP to include the promise of changing the Constitution in the party’s manifesto in the State Assembly polls as well as 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Rao said Mr. Hegde’s remarks on the Constitution clearly stated the BJP’s hostility towards Dalits and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
