Karnataka - Shimoga   

Secular forces should unite: Bangarappa

SHIMOGA: The former Chief Minister and Shimoga MP S. Bangarappa said here on Friday that it was the duty of all secular forces to come together to defeat the NDA led by the “communal” BJP in the Lok Sabha election.

He was addressing a conference organised by the District Congress Committee to accord a reception to him on his first visit to his home district after joining the Congress.

Mr. Banagarappa said the secular forces was to join hands with the Congress to get the United Progressive Alliance back in power. He said he met Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently only to discuss the party’s prospects in the State and not to seek ticket for himself. He said the selection of the candidate for Shimoga was left to the high command. “But I would work for the success of any candidate even if I am not nominated as the candidate,” he said.

Referring to the formation of the Third Front under the leadership of Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda he said he would not comment on it. He said the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) should join hands to defeat the BJP. He said Janata Dal (S) State unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy had agreed to discuss the issue with him.

Repeating his allegation that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa allocated the funds to the Ramachandrapur Math, he asked: “It is people’s money how could he give it away?”

He said his attack was confined to the Ramachandrapur Math and that he did not criticise the Brahmin community as was being made out by the vested interests. Mr. Bangarappa said no Chief Minister in the State made such indiscreet sanctions to the religious institutions as was being done by Mr. Yeddyurappa.

He said it was important to note that the former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde sanctioned not even a rupee to the Ramachandrapur Math during his tenure.

He said that he had all the regard to the math but stopped visiting it when Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Sudarshan participated in its function.

Mr. Bangarappa lashed out at those who organised a protest rally in Sagar against his remarks on Ramachandrapur Math. He warned that non-Brahmins would be constrained to come together to mount a counter attack if the Brahmins did not refrain from whipping up communal passions.

He took exception to the Government’s decision to hand over the Gokarn temple to Ramachandrapur Math although it was a Muzrai property.

Senior Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa alleged that the BJP was trying to eliminate the names of voters belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, backward classes and women from the voters’ lists.

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