The State vice-president of OBC wing of Hindustan Janata Party Raghavendra Kathare has alleged that BJP leaders had developed sudden love and devotion for Lord Ganesh on account of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing press persons in Hubballi along with other office-bearers, Mr. Kathare alleged that as the Lok Sabha elections were nearing, the BJP leaders were playing the drama of protests over the Ganesha festival for the sake of attracting Hindu voters.
Welcoming the municipal corporation’s permission for celebrating Ganesha festival at the Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, Mr. Kathare however sought to know why the BJP leaders did not fight for it, when they were in power. “We have been fighting for permission to celebrate Ganesha festival at the Idgah Maidan for the last decade. Then no BJP leaders came out in support of us. But now suddenly there is a spate of Hindutva among them,” he mocked
Mr. Kathare said that as BJP leaders were trying to portray Congress as anti-Hindu over the issue of Ganesh festival. It would be better if the municipal corporation itself celebrated the Ganesha festival at the Idgah Maidan. “Such a move will automatically put to an end, any attempt to take political mileage out of it,” he said.
The office-bearers Santosh Meharwade, Manjunath Yaturvi, Kiran Bakale and Sandeep Baddi alleged that the Ganesh Mahamandal which was permitted to celebrate Ganesh festival at the Idgah Maidan last year, had not yet made public the details of the funds collected and spent during the last year’s celebration.
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