Are you in favour of terrorists or patriots? Karnataka CM asks Kharge and Gandhis
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday asked Congress chief M Mallikarjun Kharge and former presidents Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, whether they are "in favour of terrorists or patriots".
The Chief Minister was reacting to Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar's statement seemingly suggesting that the Mangaluru pressure cooker blast was "orchestrated" by the BJP government to divert attention away from the voter data theft scandal.
"Congress' policy is such that earlier too they have trivialised terror incidents and have supported terrorists. They had criticised the hanging of a terrorist. This is part of their appeasement strategy for elections. They feel that they will get minority votes with such statements, and have used the same old technique. But people are aware, such things won't work anymore," Bommai told reporters here.
"I want to ask Congress party -- Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi -- they should make it clear whether they are in favour of terrorists who disturb peace and order, or in favour of patriots who serve this country," he said.
Such "playful acts" and statements demoralises the country and its police forces, the Chief Minister further said, adding that "when terrorists are held with evidence, questioning the procedure and investigation will boost the morale of the terrorists."
Addressing a media interaction on Thursday, Shivakumar referring to the November 19 blast in Mangaluru said: "Who asked the director general of police to declare that it was a terrorist act without investigation? Who is the terrorist? Was it an act of terrorism like in Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir or Pulwama?"
His statement has elicited sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.
Pointing out that blast accused Mohammed Shariq had everything required to make a bomb inside a pressure cooker, which exploded and it was clear that the man had the intent to cause a blast in Mangaluru, Bommai said, "He (Shariq) had changed his identity multiple times. He was caught two-three times in earlier cases. It was established that he had known terror links, including overseas."
For the Karnataka PCC president to say that it was a cover-up, doesn't befit his position, Bommai said.
Reacting to Shivakumar's claim that the Mangaluru blast was used by the BJP to divert attention away from the voter data theft scandal, the Chief Minister said it was the Congress government that gave orders to non-profit organisation Chilume Trust in 2017. "Shivakumar shouldn't forget this."
"Congress has the habit of creating illegal votes. We will know clearly this time how many outsiders are there in which constituency. It is because the Election Commission is using new technology to identify double and triple votes," he said, adding that investigations are on in the case and arrests have been made.
Last month, the Congress had alleged that Chilume Trust, assigned by the Bengaluru civic agency to spread awareness among voters, collected details of the voters such as name, mother tongue, gender, religion, caste, voter ID number, and the Aadhaar number.
The Bengaluru city police, probing the case, have arrested the co-founder of Chilume Trust Krishnappa Ravikumar, the main accused.
Later speaking in Mandya, Chief Minister Bommai questioned Congress as to whether it was its policy to sympathise with terrorists, whenever terror acts took place.
He said, "Such things don't happen in any other country... here Congress politicises all issues. On the China border issue, they speak by demoralising our soldiers, they demoralise police here. This is not the way a national party should behave on the issue of national security. They have lost their mind with losing power," he added.
Bommai also noted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the case, adding that, "they don't take cases just like that, they only take up cases linked to national security and terror-related ones".
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
