Love Jihad: Karnataka BJP leader\'s statement kicks up controversy

Mangaluru: The recent statement about Love Jihad by BJP Karnataka state president Nalin Kumar Kateel has raked up fresh controversy in the state.

During the launch of ‘Booth Vijay Abhiyan’ in Mangaluru, Nalin spoke about issues the party workers should take up during the forthcoming election. The viral video shows Nalin asking the party workers not to take up small issues like roads, gutters, and drains but bring BJP to power to fight against Love Jihad.
This statement of Nalin has attracted strong criticism.

“Nalin has asked the workers not to think about the road and drains and instead stressed sentimental issues. They cannot repair roads and drains. Their pre-poll promises have not been fulfilled,” Deputy leader of Congress party in Karnataka Assembly and former minister U.T. Khader told reporters in Mangaluru today.

“The double-engine government runs with communal fuel. The silencer smoke of this is poison. Their engine has failed. People will overthrow the engine. They divide society in the name of religion and caste,” he said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress has condemned Nalin’s statement through a post on its official handle.

“BJP is using communal strife to hide its failures and corruption. Topics like development, employment, and education are "small issues" for BJP! It is very shameful that the BJP, which has no developmental achievements to claim, has asked the activists not to talk about them,” Congress tweeted.

Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkuta president and former Mayor K. Ashraf told Deccan Chronicle that Nalin’s statement has proved that he is not fit to be in his position as MP and also state president.

“We have always been telling the BJP does not believe in development. BJP leaders use communal and sentimental issues to win the election and this time too they are doing the same. We are not surprised. Infact Nalin has proved us right. He has agreed to what we have been saying for years,” Ashraf added.

Activist MG Hegde has asked the BJP to make its stand clear in the manifesto of the forthcoming election.

“Let manifesto and speech be the same. If BJP believes Love Jihad, Moral Policing, and Communal speeches are more important then let it make it clear in the manifesto. Congress should also make its stand clear in the manifesto,” Hegde said.

“If roads and drains are trivial issues then let the government not table the budget. If there is no need for developmental works then people need not pay taxes,” he added.

However, BJP leaders said that the statement has been misinterpreted.

“Nalin was speaking at the program in Mangaluru. He spoke about the developmental works undertaken in the region and the fund he and MLAs have brought to the region. Nalin also spoke about the strict measures taken by the BJP government including the ban on PFI,” spokesperson Jagadeesh Shenava said.

“Nalin continued his speech and said that instead of speaking on small issues like uncompleted road and drain works, the party workers should take up bigger issues like Love Jehad which is haunting the country. Nalin did not say development is not important. During his speech, he has spoken about the developmental works undertaken in the region. He was speaking about bigger issues that are affecting the country. Nalin’s statement has been misinterpreted,” Shenava added.