Taking serious exception to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name as the “Murder of Democratic India — MODI”, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ananth Kumar, on Sunday sarcastically appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — who has participated in the JP (Jayaprakash Narayan) movement during the emergency days imposed by the Congress — to give a few history lessons on Independent India to Mr. Ramesh.
He was speaking at a press conference held here to brief the achievements of the Modi government.
“If Mr. Ramesh does not know history or if he is feeling senile, Mr. Siddaramaiah is the best person to give him lessons as he had participated in the JP movement opposing the emergency imposed by the Congress by suspending the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution,” Mr. Ananth Kumar remarked.
ADVERTISEMENT
Accusing the Congress of trying to murder democracy by imposing emergency, he said leaders of such a party need not give lessons in democracy to others.
Ridiculing that only those who belonged to the “dynasty” could become presidents of the Congress, he taunted Mr. Ramesh and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to teach others on democracy only if they could become presidents of their party.
Mr. Kumar maintained that Mr. Modi always spoke of team India that comprised not just of Ministers from the BJP and NDA, but also Chief Ministers of all States.
ADVERTISEMENT
‘Non-cooperative govt.’
He accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of launching a non-cooperative movement with the Centre against the development of Karnataka. The Siddaramaiah government was yet to give land for the construction of Bidar-Kalaburagi railway line.
If Mr. Ramesh does not know history or if he is feeling senile, Mr. Siddaramaiah is the best person to give him lessons as he had participated in the JP movement opposing the emergency imposed by the Congress
Ananth Kumar
Union Minister