Karnataka   

“BJP will disturb communal harmony”

BANGALORE: Will the BJP maintain communal harmony in Karnataka if power is transferred to it?

This was the question asked by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at a press conference at his chamber in the Vidhana Soudha here on Thursday.

“What is the guarantee that peace will be maintained during the Datta Jayanthi celebrations in Chikmagalur district in December? The party [BJP] backed by the Sangh Parivar forces will disturb communal harmony,” he said.

Recently, communal elements set fire to a Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation bus in Bangalore, in which two persons died. This was a clear indication of what would happen if the BJP was allowed to rule the State, he said.

Lashing out at the BJP leaders, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that they had hatched a conspiracy to dent his political image by levelling corruption charges and filing an attempt-to-murder complaint against him.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said that ever since the Janata Dal (S)-BJP Government was formed 20 months ago, BJP leaders were levelling corruption charges against his family.

BJP leader G. Janardhan Reddy levelled the Rs. 150-crore bribery charge.

“It is for sure that the senior BJP leaders were behind the conspiracy to taint my image,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Janata Dal (S) was ready to face elections if the situation caused by the campaign of “character assassination” by BJP leaders continued. “We will go to people’s court. I am ready to break my word on power transfer,” he said, hinting at dumping the coalition partner.

Criticising the BJP leaders for maintaining silence when the party’s Bellary leaders were targeting the Deve Gowda family, he asked, “should I hand over power to the BJP whose leaders have vowed to perform the last rites of my family?”

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