The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BJP trying to boost prospects of Shiv Sena, charges Shivakumar

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Monday, Jan 19, 2009
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BJP trying to boost prospects of Shiv Sena, charges Shivakumar

Special Correspondent

D.K. Shivakumar

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D. K. Shivakumar on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party Government was holding the special legislature session in Belgaum only to provide an opportunity for the political re-growth of its allies like the Shiv Sena and outfits such as the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES).

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Shivakumar said development of north Karnataka was not the real intention of the special legislature session.

“If development of north Karnataka was the real intention behind holding the session in Belgaum, then the Governor’s speech should have had some concrete programmes in this regard.”

He alleged that Shiv Sena leader from Maharashtra Ramdas Kadam, who had addressed protesting MES and Shiv Sena activists in Belgaum, had spoken lightly about Karnataka. But Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyruappa was yet to condemn those statements, Mr. Shivakumar said and argued that the BJP Government should not have allowed the Shiv Sena and MES leaders from Maharashtra to address the protesters in Belgaum when the special legislature session was on.

Adjournment motion

He said the Congress was planning to move an adjournment motion on the Lokayukta’s report on mining which had referred to a mining company — which had a Minister as its director — pushing the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh boundary line deep into the areas of Karnataka in a bid to illegally extend its mining area in Andhra Pradesh.

The other issue on which the Congress wanted to move an adjournment motion was the failure of the Government to provide BPL ration cards to all the poor families.

The Congress leader took exception to the Government using the name of Swami Vivekananda to rope in students to counter terrorism. He termed this as an attempt to sow the seeds of suspicion among students.

The Congress would launch a programme to counter such attempts.

Pointing out that Swami Vivekananda was known for his preachings on universal brotherhood, he said the BJP was trying to mislead people by trying to portray Vivekananda as the party’s spiritual symbol.

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