Dinesh, wife object to Shobha's remark on their personal lives

Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao and his wife Tabassum on Wednesday took exception to BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje for commenting on their personal life.

Participating in a protest organised by the BJP to condemn the state government’s ‘inability’ to control communal violence in Dakshina Kannada district, Shobha had sought to know why Dinesh has not married a Dalit. She also said that everybody know whom Dinesh has married. She had actually taken a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who had recently asked BJP leaders to make their children Dalits if they really care about them.

Later in the day, Tabassum stated on her Facebook page “It is no secret that I was born a Muslim and my husband Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin. We have been happily married for over two decades now...neither of us has converted...respecting all religion is a practice followed by us...we represent the unity in diversity that India stands for...As a homemaker and a mother of two daughters, I take strong umbrage to Ms Karandlaje tresspassing into our private lives for her narrow political gains...It is unfortunate that a leader of Ms Karandlaje’s stature has stooped to such levels.”

Dinesh advised Shobha to get married. “I got married in 1994. Everybody knows whom I have married...May be she is still unmarried. I think she (Shobha) still has a chance to marry somebody,” he stated.

He also accused the BJP of trying to divide society on the basis of religion. The BJP has realised that it cannot win the next Assembly elections. The BJP leaders have become desperate and hence they are stooping to such low level in politics. Speeches made by the party leaders during their protest in Bengaluru are condemnable, he added.