BJP leaders criticise Siddaramaiah for allegedly visiting temple after eating non-veg food
Bengaluru, Aug 22: BJP leaders in Karnataka are targeting senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah for reportedly going to a temple during his recent visit to Kodagu district after eating non-vegetarian food, and have accused him of hurting religious sentiments.
This came even as the former chief minister has tried to downplay the issue and assert his right to choice of food, while questioning as to whether God has prescribed any food while visiting temples.
He, however, did not give any clarification on food consumed before visiting the temple in Kodagu district.
Siddaramaiah visiting Basaveshwara temple in Kodlipet after allegedly eating non-vegetarian food has triggered a controversy.
Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, suggested that local temple traditions should be followed if one wants to visit shrines, and thereby respect the feelings of the faithful.
"Siddaramaiah or anyone should not hurt the feelings of the faithful. If you (Siddaramaiah) have guts, eat pork and visit a mosque," he challenged.
Accusing Siddaramaiah of trying to hurt sentiments of the people, Member of Parliament Mysuru-Kodagu Pratap Simha, pointed to an earlier incident by alleging that as the then chief minister he had offered customary floral tributes to Goddess Chamundeshwari, the reigning deity of Mysuru, during the Dasara 'jamboo savari' procession, after eating non-veg food.
"He did this in 2017, I'm a witness to it...thereafter, he lost power and could not offer floral tributes from next year," Simha said, as he addressed Siddaramaiah as 'Siddu Sultan' and accused him of appeasement politics.
State BJP Vice President B Y Vijayendra, targeting Siddaramaiah, said people may have freedom to choose their food, but there is culture and tradition in the southern state and people here respect and follow certain religious practices.
"Those in big positions should not behave or make statements that hurt sentiments of people," he said.
Siddaramaiah, the leader of opposition in the state assembly, on Sunday said he is a non-vegetarian and it is his food habit, and questioned as to whether the God has said what to eat and what not to before visiting temples.
"I had lunch at a guest house... Has God prescribed any specific food?... It seems one can consume meat during the night and visit temples the next morning, but should not visit a temple in the same evening," he remarked.
Meanwhile, reacting to BJP's attack, former MLC and Congress leader in Kodagu district Veena Acchaiah has said Siddaramaiah did not have non-vegetarian food the day he visited the temple.
"It is true there was chicken curry. But Siddaramaiah had Coorg's special bamboo shoot curry and akki rotti," she has said.
Jumping to his father's defence, Siddarmaiah's son and Congress MLA Yatindra Siddaramaiah said the BJP was creating unnecessary issues and asserted that everyone has a right over the choice of food.
State Congress Working President Dhruvanarayan said the ruling party is trying to cover up its failures by raising trivial issues, instead of concentrating on addressing the concerns of the people.
He said the BJP was trying to malign Siddaramaiah with false propaganda, as it feared his popularity.
Earlier too, Siddarmaiah as CM had been in the middle of a similar controversy in 2017, when he reportedly visited the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara temple in Dharmasthala of Dakshina Kannada district after consuming a meal of fish fry and country chicken.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar
Nahariya (Israel), Jan 11: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu's office announced the decision Saturday. It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, site of the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas group. His presence means high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved.
Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that occurred in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then.
Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas' ability to fight in Gaza. Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory. On Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry said over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
Also being sent to Qatar are the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency and military and political advisers. Netanyahu's office said the decision followed a meeting with his defence minister, security chiefs and negotiators “on behalf of the outgoing and incoming US administrations.”
The office also released a photo showing Netanyahu with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who was in Qatar this week.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza after being seized in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
The recovery of two hostages' bodies in the past week renewed fears that time is running out. Hamas has said that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead.
Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is “very close” and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration. But US officials have expressed similar optimism on several occasions over the past year.
Issues in the talks have included which hostages would be released in the first part of a phased ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners would be released and the extent of any Israeli troop withdrawal from population centres in Gaza.
Hamas and other groups killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza in the attack that started the war. A truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.
