Mangaluru: Declaring that no leaders would quit the party, State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra affirmed efforts to woo back party leaders who had previously left and expressed optimism about success in this endeavor.
During his visit to Mangaluru on Wednesday, Vijayendra addressed reporters, emphasizing that past events were less crucial than ensuring future party unity.
"It is not important what happened earlier. However, from now on, no leader will leave the BJP, and no leader from our party will join the Congress. We are actively working to bring back those who had previously left the party, and we are confident in our success," Vijayendra said.
Vijayendra strongly objected to Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan's controversial statement and pledged to combat it both within and outside the legislature. He urged the Chief Minister to promptly remove Khan from the cabinet, citing concerns about injecting religious color into the post of speaker.
"The post of speaker is respected by everybody, regardless of party differences. Zameer Ahmed Khan has tried to give a religious color to the constitutional post. The CM should take immediate action and remove him from the cabinet. We will see how he will enter the legislature," declared Vijayendra.
He criticized the state government, asserting that it had lost credibility within a remarkably short period. Terming it an "anti-poor, anti-Dalit, and anti-farmer government," Vijayendra claimed that those who voted for Congress were questioning their choice.
Accusing the state government of negligence in addressing the drought situation, Vijayendra asserted, "The CM, DCM, and Ministers have failed in handling the situation. In-charge ministers are only in name. None of them have visited their district or discussed the drought situation with officials," he alleged.
Commenting on recent Congress decisions, Vijayendra expressed disappointment that the government prioritized preparations for the upcoming parliament elections over drought mitigation measures.
"During a Congress leaders' meeting yesterday, our anticipation for the government to address drought concerns ahead of the impending winter session was met with surprise. Instead, the party made decisions to delegate responsibilities to district in-charge ministers to ensure success in the upcoming parliamentary elections in their respective districts. Additionally, they finalized the appointment of chairpersons for the board and corporation," he conveyed.
"Contrary to our expectation of a focus on drought mitigation measures, the party has given precedence to preparations for the Lok Sabha election. We are not against preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. But this choice highlights their priorities," he said.
He likened the situation to the famous saying, "When Rome was on fire, Nero was fiddling." He criticized the government for blaming the central government and questioned whether the state government was facing a fund shortage, urging it to take responsibility for the situation. Vijayendra assured Hindu workers of support.
On the topic of the Caste Census, Vijayendra clarified that the BJP does not oppose the census but objected to its potential misuse for political purposes.
Questioning the timing of the census push, he pointed out that the process had concluded during the last term of the Siddaramaiah government, questioning why it was not pursued then and why it was being emphasized now as the Lok Sabha elections approached.
