Hubballi: Accusing Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of adopting double standards over the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the state, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader K.S. Eshwarappa claimed here on Saturday that this was the reason why Hindu activists were killed in the state.
Speaking to reporters in Bagalkot, he regretted that the state government continued to hold the celebration every year although no one had asked it to.
“The coalition government is intentionally creating a controversy by holding the event. Kumaraswamy, who had earlier assured that he would not allow the celebration if he became Chief Minister , stayed away from it as his conscience did not permit him to attend it,” he contended.
Clarifying that the Bharatiya Janata Party was only against Tipu Jayanti and not the Muslims, he claimed it was the Congress, which wanted to divide the Hindus and Muslims.
“No communal riots are reported from any state where the BJP is in power. But the Congress is trying to benefit from dividing people on religious and caste lines,” he alleged.
As for minister Zameer Ahmed’s statement that the Bharatiya Janata Party had lost power because it opposed the Tipu Jayanti celebrations, Mr Eshwarappa demanded to know why the Congress government headed by Mr Siddaramaiah was defeated in the May election.
The BJP leader demanded an apology from minister T B Jayachandra for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed he was only trying to get into the good books of his party president, Rahul Gandhi and former Congress president, Sonia Gandhi by making them.
