'BJP should not field Anantkumar Hegde in LS polls'

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) SC cell president F H Jakkappanavar has asked the BJP leadership not to give the party's ticket to Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde to contest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, charging that he is anti-Constitution.

Jakkappanavar told media persons here on Tuesday that those who insulted the Constitution should not be in any constitutional post, and the BJP should not field Hegde in elections, if the party respects the Constitution.

He said, the BJP government at the Centre has shown negligence in taking action against acts of disrespecting the Constitution, like burning the copy of the Constitution. Rules related to reservation in universities are changed with an intention to keep SC/ST candidates away from universities. Such acts raise suspicion about whether the BJP is ruling the country, or the RSS. The RSS is behind such acts of the BJP government, he charged.

In the State budget, he said, Rs 33,000 crore is earmarked for the welfare of SC/ST communities which has 1.07 crore population in the State. However, the Union budget reserved only Rs 76,000 crore for 40 crore SC/ST population in the country, Jakkappanavar said.

The Union Government announced 'Bharat Ratna' award for RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh, but not for Shri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt. At least now, the award should be announced for the seer posthumously, he demanded.

Jakkappanavar also clarified that he is not an aspirant for Congress ticket to contest from Dharwad constituency in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.