Assembly elections: BJP leader Ayanur Manjunath to enter fray, to resign as MLC
Shivamogga: BJP MLC Ayanur Manjunath has said that he will soon resign as legislator to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, calling the recent ‘words of contempt’ by Eshwarappa a challenge for him to show his worth.
Addressing a press meet in the city on Monday, Ayanur said, “I have declared that I wish to contest the Assembly polls this year. I had also asked the party heads for ticket, but there are no signs of the leaders giving me ticket. I am, therefore, resigning as MLC.”
Further, he said that he decided to contest after thinking over the words of party leader Eshwarappa recently. “I especially considered Eshwarappa’s use of singular in his speech, which only reflects his lack of language skills. He went to the extent of saying ‘he cannot stand up to me’, and I accept it as a challenge,” he declared.
“I am well aware of Eshwarappa’s poll tactics. Officials concerned have confiscated things worth around Rs 4.5 crore and cash of Rs 1.5 crore on different occasions. Eshwarappa has loads of funds, which he has deposited in wards for the upcoming elections. Yet, his funds will prove ineffective in the current polls,” Ayanur said.
Saying that Eshwarappa had achieved nothing in his 32 years as a representative of the people, Ayanur said that Eshwarappa was good at only making provocative speeches during elections, but this trick would not work for him this time.
People with the sole aim of winning the elections are more often than not the reason for any sort of ‘impurity’ in temples and other places of worship. “I request people not to lose their cool – not even the police. There is always a possibility of difficult, unwanted situations rising up during elections. We must all handle such situations carefully, always,” he reminded.
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BJP's main agenda is to keep minorities in fear, alleges Stalin
Chennai (PTI): DMK President M K Stalin has alleged that the BJP's main agenda is to keep the minorities in fear, and everyone is aware of what is happening in the states governed by the saffron party.
Stalin further alleged that Muslims continued to be subjected to attacks.
"Now, a situation has arisen where even Christmas could not be celebrated peacefully. Christians are being targeted. The entire country is a witness to what is happening in Manipur. The BJP's plan of action is that a state of insecurity for minorities should spread like a wildfire across the country," he told PTI in an interview.
That was why it first enacted the CAA, and the next was an amendment to the Waqf law, and now it is "desperate" to amend the FCRA, he alleged, and lashed out at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
"Palaniswami, who supports all these three amendments and has formed an alliance with the BJP, does not have any concern for the welfare of minorities. However, the DMK is always firm in its commitment to ensure that India must always be a secular state; that people belonging to all religions must be equally respected and that the Constitutional safeguards conferred on minorities must be upheld. If any of these is threatened, the DMK will be the first party to raise its voice against it," he said.
Denying that the BJP made the minorities feel insecure, BJP state vice president M Chakravarthy said the chief minister was making the allegation due to the "fear that the Christian and Dalit votes would go to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by actor-politician Vijay."
He was depicting the BJP as a bogeyman in an attempt to create unnecessary apprehension among the minorities, the BJP leader told PTI.
On FCRA, Chakravarthy asked, "What's wrong with ensuring accountability in the use of funds?"
