'Siddaramulla Khan' a stamp of my secular credentials: Siddaramaiah over BJP leader's remark
Bengaluru, Nov 7: Accusing the BJP of lies, slander and character assassination, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he is not upset about ruling party leaders calling him 'Siddaramulla Khan', and instead feels that they have rewarded his belief in secularism by attaching a Muslim name to his.
The former Karnataka chief minister was reacting to BJP national general secretary C T Ravi recently criticising Siddaramaiah by calling him 'Siddaramulla Khan'. Ravi had also alleged that the former CM would "finish Hindus" if Congress forms the next government in the state.
"I'm not upset about Muslim name being added to my name and being called Siddaramulla Khan. We have the heritage of Shishunala Sharif, a disciple of Govinda Bhat, poet Kabir, a disciple of Saint Ramananda. So, they (BJP) have rewarded my belief in secularism by attaching Muslim name to my name," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
There is nothing surprising in the slander carried out by the BJP, which has made falsehood, slander and character assassination as a tool for its political propaganda, the Leader of Opposition said.
"Are they going to polls by showing their faces smeared with zero achievements, corruption and iniquities?" he asked.
Such conduct indicates their despair and helplessness, he further said, adding: "Let us all mourn the moral depravity of the BJP that once had decent people."
Claiming that people call him 'Anna (food) Ramaiah', 'Raita (farmer) Ramaiah', 'Kannada Ramaiah', 'Dalita Ramaiah' in recognition of his services as chief minister, Siddaramaiah said he will be happy if he is called 'Siddaramulla Khan' in recognition of the work done for the Muslim community.
"I have been opposing the communalism of Muslims and other religions with the same clarity and commitment as Hindu communalism. Like the BJP, I am not one who does communal politics targeting Muslims in particular, without any distinction between good and bad, for political reasons," he said.
Noting that the people of the state are convinced that the Tipu Sultan jayanti controversy and the violence that took place a few years ago in this regard was BJP's creation with a political motive, he said, "People have seen everyone from BJP Chief Minister to ministers to legislators celebrating Tipu Jayanti earlier, by wearing various costumes."
Accusing BJP of running false propaganda that Hindu youth were killed when he was chief minister, Siddaramaiah said, "I will not ask them to stop the slander against me. But it would be foolish if BJP thinks that I would stop my fight against their government's mismanagement, corruption and communal politics out of fear of such slanders."
Assembly polls in Karnataka are due in the first half of 2023.
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Young woman from MP who shot to fame during Kumbh found to be minor, case registered against husband
Khargone (MP) (PTI): The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on Friday confirmed that a young woman from Madhya Pradesh who became famous due to her viral videos during the 2025 Maha Kumbh has been found to be a minor after an inquiry.
Citing the findings of an inquiry panel set up by the commission, local BJP leaders alleged that her interfaith marriage in Kerala last month was a case of "love Jihad", and sought legal action.
While the panel had submitted its report in March, ST commission chairman Antar Singh Arya confirmed its findings to the PTI on Friday.
A case for alleged kidnapping and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has already been registered against her husband, a Muslim man, at Maheshwar on the basis of the inquiry findings, police said.
The girl gained national fame after her videos while selling garlands and rudraksha at the Maha Kumbh went viral on social media and also earned her a role in a film.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes set up an inquiry panel after receiving a complaint on March 17 from Pratham Dubey, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, that she was a minor and was being exploited.
Maheshwar BJP MLA Rajkumar Mev and BJP mandal president Vikram Patel, armed with documents, told reporters on Friday that her marriage in Kerala was a case of "love Jihad" and she should be brought back home.
'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.
Police said an investigation is underway, and further action would be taken accordingly.
The girl, who belongs to the nomadic Pardhi community, got married at a temple in Kerala in March. The interfaith marriage drew angry reactions from rightwing Hindu groups.
Her family members and film director Sanoj Mishra -- who had offered her a film role after she became famous -- too alleged that it was 'love Jihad'.
As per the inquiry conducted by the ST commission, records at the Maheshwar government hospital showed the woman's date of birth as December 30, 2009 which meant she was 16 years and two months old at the time of marriage, said Dubey, the complainant.
On a complaint filed by her father, police registered a case against the girl's husband at Maheshwar police station on March 25 for alleged kidnapping and under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police sources said that a separate case was also registered on March 24 under section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (taking a minor from lawful custody of guardian without their consent) based on the the commission's findings.
