War of words erupts between Congress, BJP over Dalit identity of MLA targetted by rioters
Bengaluru: A bitter twitter war has erupted between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP state Chief Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday over the Dalit identity of the Congress MLA, whose house was damaged by rioters during the recent violence here.
Projecting the incident as an attack on a Dalit MLA, several BJP leaders accusing the Congress of indulging in "appeasement politics" have questioned the grand old party's hesitation to condemn riots by "minority groups" on the residence of its own legislator.
Responding to one such purported comment by Kateel that whether Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar were pro Dalit or pro terrorists, the Leader of Opposition in a tweet said, "we are pro humans, not anti humans. We are in favour of those who light the lamp and not in favour of those who incite fire.."
"We are for builders, not destroyers. In what better way should I introduce ourselves and you?" he asked, hitting out at Kateel.
Asking Kateel whether he was pro Hindu or pro Dalit, Siddarmaiah in another tweet sought to know if he was Hindu, why isn't Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy a Hindu, but just a Dalit?
"Will you please ask your elders and clarify what is the true interpretation of Hindutva?" he chided.
Hitting back, Kattel termed Siddaramaiah's politics as 'divisive,' reminding the former CM about his AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) movement before joining Congress and on being expelled from JD(S).
He further said, "You and your party have used Dalits for the sake of politics. Hindu dharma preaches Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and not incite fire like you."
Siddaramaiah also in a series of tweets targetted BJP national General Secretary B L Santosh for his allegations of appeasement politics on Congress leaders, and asked when the BJP government could not give protection to a Dalit MLA's (Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy) house, how can it ensure of safety of crores of poor and Dalits.
"Don't you think it is your (government's) failure?" he asked.
Siddaramaiah also accused BJP and its leaders of shedding "crocodile tears" for Dalits.
An angry mob went on a rampage in D J Halli and adjoining areas in the capital city on Tuesday night over an inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of MLA Murthy.
The MLA's residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by rioters, who also set many police and private vehicles afire, and looted the belongings of the legislator and those of his sister.
Meanwhile, rejecting state Congress chief D K Shivakumar's comments that Naveen, who posted inflammatory post was a supporter of the BJP, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said, he was a Congress worker.
"Shivakumar lacks information. It was not right on the part of a person who is a party president to speak like this... he (Naveen) has posted posts regarding (supporting) Shivakumar," he said, adding that fight between Congress and SDPI locally might have led to the incident.
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Conspiracy being hatched against Kejriwal, anything can happen with him in jail: Sanjay Singh
New Delhi (PTI): AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh Friday reiterated his party's allegation that a deep conspiracy is being hatched against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and anything can happen with him in prison.
At a press conference here, Singh charged that the BJP's "modus operandi" can stoop to the level of even killing someone.
No immediate reaction was available from the BJP over Singh's accusations.
The MP also slammed BJP leaders for "making fun" of an ailment suffered by Kejriwal and added that "misleading" news about the Delhi chief minister was being spread through the media.
"If the rules of jail do not allow health-related information of an inmate to be shared with anyone, then why did the ED publicise a fake diet chart of Kejriwal in the media on Thursday," he asked.
There was no reaction from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the AAP Rajya Sabha MP's allegation.
Singh, however, asserted that Kejriwal will not break or bow down.
Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi Thursday alleged that there was a plot to kill Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested by the ED in the excise policy case, by denying him home-cooked food and insulin in jail, a charge rejected by the prison authorities.
Her allegations came hours after the ED claimed before a court that Kejriwal is eating high-sugar foods like mangoes, bananas and sweets every day despite having type 2 diabetes to create grounds for medical bail or shift to a hospital.
