I was falsely projected as anti-Hindu in 2018, says Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress veteran and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said "false propaganda" that he was anti-Hindu took centrestage during the 2018 Assembly elections and denied he was against the majority faith as projected by the BJP.
In an interview to PTI Video, the excerpts of which were released on Monday, he further said there was nothing wrong in state Congress President DK Shivakumar also aspiring for the chief minister's post in the event of the party winning the May 10 Assembly polls, as "healthy competition" was fine.
"See, if there is healthy competition there is nothing wrong. If Dk Shivakumar wants to become CM and he is an aspirant there is nothing wrong. If I become an aspirant for the CM post there is nothing wrong. Ultimately newly elected MLAs will decide and the high command will take a decision," on the top post, he said.
Asserting that the people of Karnataka want to show the door to the ruling BJP, Siddaramaiah said the saffron organisation cannot "mislead" the voters like it did five years ago.
"In 2013, there was a clear mandate from the people for the Congress party. We had done good work during our tenure between 2013 and 2018 (when he was CM). The false propaganda had taken upper hand because they made allegations against me that I am against majority communites, against upper class and like that and that I am against Hindutva/Hindu dharma."
"Like that they have projected but it is not true. This time, the people will not believe their propaganda because they know there is no truth in their allegation. That is why, this time they (BJP) are not talking much about Hindutva/Hindu Rasthra or Hindu dharma because with money power they wanted to win this time. But it is not possible," he added. He claimed the BJP was able to swing the mandate in its favour in the 2018 polls through false propaganda.
To a question, he said "caste is not an important factor in the elections."
"Issues are important. Now the issues are corruption, price rise, unemployment...like that there are so many issues. People of Karnataka will not consider caste," he insisted.
Asked if the May 10 election will be a battle between himself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he replied in the negative.
"It is not a fight between myself and Modi and that issue will not be discussed in the coming assembly election. The issues will be the local issues concerning the people of Karnataka and it is an election to the state legistature, not the Parliament. Therefore the people of Karnataka will discuss local issues," he said.
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Chikkamagaluru: Arms, ammunition suspectedly left in forest by surrendered Maoists recovered
Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka), Jan 11: The Karnataka police have seized arms and ammunition from a forest area near here, suspectedly left by Maoists, who surrendered recently, a police officer said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters, Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikram Amathe however maintained that whether the arms and ammunition were left by surrendered Maoists, is a matter of investigation.
A group of six Maoists surrendered to the government in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his home office 'Krishna' in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.
The Surrendered Maoists include Mundagaru Latha from Sringeri, Vanajakshi Balehole from Kalasa, Sundari Kutluru from Dakshina Kannada, Mareppa Aroli from Raichur in Karnataka. The other two are Vasanth K from Vellore in Tamil Nadu, and N Jeesha from Wayanad in Kerala.
"Late last night a case was registered at Jayapura police station under section 3,7,25(1B) and 25(1A) of the Arms Act of 1959. Based on the information received by the Police Sub-Inspector. He and his team had gone to the mentioned spot and conducted searches, and found arms and ammunition," SP Vikram Amathe said.
He also said, arms and ammunitions seized in forest area in Kittaleguli in Koppa taluk include one AK-56 rifle, three .303 weapons, one 12 bore SBBL gun, one country made pistol, and related 176 ammunations.
CPI Koppa will investigate the case, the SP said, adding that further investigations will follow to ascertain things.
Asked whether the arms and ammunition found belonged to surrendered Maoists, he said, it is a matter of investigation, they were found based on the information received. "Only after investigation, we can definitely say."
To a question that some arms were bearing symbols to show they belonged to Maoists, he said, it is a matter of investigation, we are gathering information about those symbols, and only after investigation anything can be said.
Asked as to when the Maoists will be taken to police custody, Amathe said, there are several cases against them, legal process is on, after which they will be taken into police custody.
Following the surrender, the Maoists were produced before the Special NIA Court in Bengaluru, which had remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days. They are currently lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison Complex in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah on Friday said authorities knew where the weapons of the surrendered Maoists, are kept, and they would be recovered following due process.
Earlier on Friday, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that surrendered Maoists have not handed over their weapons, and the police are working to locate and recover them from the forest where they are believed to have been disposed of.
