Won't be surprised if JD(S) merges with BJP, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said it won't be surprising if JD(S), which is now in alliance with the BJP, merges with the saffron party in the days ahead.
Calling former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led party "communal" following its alliance with the BJP, he urged Janata Dal (Secular), to remove the word 'Secular' from its name.
"There will be political polarisation and polarisation of votes in the country in the days to come, with communal forces on one side and seculars on the other. BJP will never come out of Hindutva and their plan of creating a Hindu Rashtra. Deve Gowda and family have joined them," Siddaramaiah said.
Addressing a party event here, he said, JD(S) is not a political party, it is a Deve Gowda and family party. "It's the party of a family."
"It won't be surprising if tomorrow JD(S) merges with the BJP....I somehow feel that it will remain as a separate political party until Deve Gowda is there and won't merge for political reasons, but after that it will merge," he said, adding that these days more than BJP, JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy is speaking against the Congress government.
The chief minister was speaking after inducting former JD(S) MLAs Gowri Shankar of Tumakuru Rural constituency and Dasarahalli's R Manjunath into Congress.
Claiming that more people from JD(S) will be joining Congress in the days ahead and, in case he reveals their names today, they might be pressured by JD(S) leadership, he said, "JD(S) MLAs were kept in a Hassan resort and were forced to undergo certain things. They might do black magic too....no one should fear such things."
Kumaraswamy was jealous of him and hence was spreading lies about him, Siddaramaiah said. "I got two chairs done from Leather Industries Development Corporation Ltd. of Karnataka (LIDKAR), for which the government pays. Kumaraswamy alleged someone brought it for me paying Rs 2 crore. Will two chairs cost Rs 2 crore? only lies..."
"Kumaraswamy is 99.99999 per cent of lies out of one hundred, he only speaks lies," he added.
Further calling the regional party "communal", the chief minister said, "I won't call the Janata Dal -- 'S' (Secular), because after joining hands with BJP they have to remove 'S'. They don't have the eligibility to have 'S' with their party name, because they are no longer a secular party."
"The leaders have quit communal Janata Dal and have joined Secular Congress and I welcome them," he said.
Pointing out that he along with Gowri Shankar's father late C Chennigappa, a former minister, were earlier in JD(S) together, Siddaramaiah said, "when we were there it was Janata Dal Secular."
"When we called them 'B' team of BJP, JD(S) leaders like Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy -- used to get angry, but they are now officially with BJP. What should we call them? Should we still call them JD(S)? They are now only Jananta Dal, if they themselves remove S -- Secular -- from their name it is good, if not people will remove," he added.
Noting that Janata Dal was divided into JD(S) and JD(U) in 1999 over the issue of joining hands with BJP, Siddaramaiah said, as he along with Deve Gowda and other leaders were against the decision of some party leaders to go with the BJP, and Janata Dal Secular (JD(S)) came into existence. "The other faction that came to be known as Janata Dal United (JD(U)) went with BJP."
"As long as I was there in the party I did not allow for any political links with BJP," he added.
Despite BJP and JD(S) joining hands, Congress will win the upcoming (Lok Sabha) elections, the CM claimed, "People are happy with our government and implementation of our guarantee schemes (pre-poll promises)."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that it was impossible to implement five guarantees and if done so, Karnataka will be bankrupt. "Mr Narendra Modi do you know the economy of this country? What is your party announcing in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh?", the chief minister asked.
Alleging that the PM has assured 'Modi/PM government guarantee' for implementation of some Centrally sponsored schemes in which state is also a contributor, he also hit out at the Central government criticising its 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra', a nationwide programme aimed at reaching out to citizens who are eligible for various Central schemes but have not benefited so far, as part of which specially designed IEC (Information, Education and Communication) vans have been flagged off.
"Today the Karnataka Governor has gone to Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanahgara for this programme, but I have asked our officials not to attend".
"They (Centre) have written a letter to the Governor asking him to attend the event. The Governor did not want to go...as per protocol, the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police have to go. I said follow the protocol but we (state government) will not cooperate in any way including gathering people at Gram Panchayat," he said, adding that it is being used for campaigning as "PM's guarantees."
The Karnataka government is forced to oppose such a programme, as the state is not given credit despite its contribution in some of these Centrally sponsored schemes, Siddaramaiah said, adding, it is against the federal structure. "The PM has stopped to such a low."
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Work underway on 'One Nation, One Election'; positive discussions ongoing: Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the "mission is still ongoing" for implementing the BJP's two key agendas, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and 'One Nation, One Election', with serious discussions underway and positive progress made.
Virtually addressing an event marking the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, Modi also said it was the saffron party that first raised the issue of women's reservation in 1994. He added that the current BJP-led central government is fully committed to ensuring that the Women's Reservation Act -- which would provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies -- is implemented in the 2029 general elections.
Targeting the Congress, he said BJP workers endured many hardships -- such as the Emergency and oppression -- under the grand old party's rule. Many BJP workers even sacrificed their lives, he said, citing states such as West Bengal and Kerala "where violence has been turned into a political culture".
"Our mission is still ongoing. On Uniform Civil Code, 'One Nation, One Election' and other issues, serious discussions are taking place in the country, and we have achieved tremendous progress on those fronts," Modi said.
He said the BJP aims to make the country developed and self-reliant, and will continue to march in that direction.
Under the 'One Nation, One Election' system, the Modi government proposes to conduct simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The UCC seeks to create the same set of laws for everyone across the country, irrespective of religion, especially with regard to marriage and adoption.
Modi said the BJP is sincerely striving to face every challenge.
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"There are countless works that were the result of the BJP's honest efforts, such as the repeal of hundreds of black laws from the British era, the construction of a new Parliament building, 10 per cent reservation for the poor in the general category, triple talaq ban, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple," he said.
The prime minister said the BJP had first proposed women's reservation in 1994 in Vadodara.
"We had also decided that we would encourage women in our party organisation as far as possible. When we came to power, we fulfilled that promise. Now we are fully dedicated to ensuring that the Nari Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act) is implemented in the 2029 general elections," he said.
Referring to the ongoing West Asia conflict, Modi said the BJP believes in the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) even in times of war.
He said there was a time when India took pride in maintaining equal distance from every country, but now it is moving ahead by keeping close relations with each country.
Highlighting that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has completed 25 years of existence, Modi said it is the only coalition that has been working in the country's interest and for public welfare.
"The BJP has set an example in coalition politics. The consistent expansion of the NDA is proof that it is an all-inclusive coalition. It works by prioritising regional aspirations," he said.
Modi said people have seen dynastic politics, which is still prevalent in some parts of the country, and the Left governance model, but the BJP's governance model is unique.
"Under our governance model, policies and governments are stable," he said.
Modi said the BJP has its own agenda and aims, and besides handling the current crisis, the party-led government is preparing the country for the future.
"Works are ongoing on issues such as the demographic change, infiltration, corruption, dynastic politics, and freeing people from a colonial mindset. The BJP has to make the country free from all these challenges. This responsibility can be fulfilled only by the BJP," he said.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 (which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir) in 2019, Modi said that for decades, the law was a hurdle in fully integrating Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.
"People thought it was impossible to scrap Article 370, but we had promised to abrogate it. We have completed the task," he said.
He said the BJP has been maintaining a consistent stand on issues like national security and terrorism, and now new technologies are being installed for border security, border villages are being developed, and the backbone of Naxalism has been crushed.
He said under the "vast and sacred banyan tree" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP was inspired to step into politics with good intentions and integrity.
"In the initial few decades, we devoted our energy to setting policies for the organisation," he said, adding that the BJP cannot forget that in 1984, the Congress won a record number of seats, but the country also witnessed how they betrayed the people.
"This increased people's trust in the BJP, and slowly we began to win seats. At that time, two types of political ideologies existed: one was power-driven, and the other was service-oriented.
"The politics that prioritised power gradually declined, and service-oriented politics gained massive public support. Today, we are proud that through our conduct, we have established a new principle in Indian politics: the principle of nation first," he said.
Earlier, in an X post, Modi greeted BJP workers on the party's foundation day. The BJP was formed on April 6, 1980.
"Our party has always been at the forefront of serving society, guided by the principle of India First. Our 'karyakartas' are known for their selfless service, unwavering dedication and a deep passion towards good governance. They have worked tirelessly at the grassroots, ensuring maximum people are connected to our ideology and work.
"We also remember the countless workers whose dedication, sacrifice and perseverance have shaped the party's growth over decades," he said.
Modi said the BJP stands as a party that places the well-being of people at the centre of its vision, and this is reflected in the work at the Centre and in various states.
"BJP remains committed to building a Viksit Bharat. May our collective resolve continue to drive this vision forward and take India to new heights of progress and prosperity," he said.
