Savarkar a murderer, says Siddaramaiah
Mangaluru, Oct 18: Calling Veer Savarkar a murderer, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP on Friday for its plan to bestow Bharat Ratna to him posthumously.
He said Savarkar was one of the accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, but the charges could not be proved due to lack of evidence and he was freed.
"The murderer of Mahatma Gandhi is getting Bharat Ratna! Those who conspired to eliminate Gandhiji are getting Bharat Ratna!
Should BJP be allowed to gain a foothold in Mangaluru, known as a land of intellectuals?" Siddaramaiah asked party workers at a meeting here.
The Maharashtra BJP unit had said in its election manifesto that the party would ask the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar.
Claiming that the accused in 90 out of 100 cases are acquitted, Siddaramaiah alleged that Savarkar was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi.
"Now they have moved ahead to bestow Bharat Ratna to him! What will happen to the nation? That's why somebody said you give it (Bharat Ratna) to(Nathuram) Godse too.
Godse was the one who assassinated Gandhiji," he said.
Alleging that RSS and Hindu Mahasabha never took part in the freedom struggle, the former chief minister said they all had ganged up with the British.
The Congress leader charged that the Sangh Parivar, including BJP, diverted peoples attention from real issues in the last Lok Sabha elections.
He conceded that the Congress could not convince people of their achievements to counter the 'communal campaign' of the BJP government at the Centre.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the country was facing an economic crisis due to demonetisation and irrational implementation of GST.
He predicted that the BJP government in Karnataka would not survive beyond the assembly by-elections in December.
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DK Shivakumar files petition in Karnataka HC challenging FIR against him
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar has approached the Karnataka High Court challenging the FIR filed against him at the RMC Yard Police Station in the city based on a complaint by a BJP member that he has been luring and threatening people to vote in favour of the Congress in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP had complained to the police that Shivakumar, while campaigning at an apartment at Rajarajeshwari Nagar on behalf of DK Suresh, the Congress candidate from Bangalore Rural constituency, had not only threatened the voters but had also blackmailed them in order to gain their votes for the Congress. A video clip, allegedly of Shivakumar, who is the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), speaking harshly to the voters, had also been shared on social media platforms.
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The BJP had also complained to the Election Commission regarding the matter. In addition, a case had been filed earlier against Shivakumar on charges of graft and use of influence during elections.
RMC Yard Police booked an FIR against the Deputy CM on Saturday based on the complaint and the officers are investigating the case.
The KPCC President has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking a quashing of the case against him.
