JD(S) woos Muslims ahead of LS polls

Seeking the Muslim community to extend its support to the JD(S) to “uproot” the Narendra Modi regime at the Centre, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday claimed that his party could never become the ‘B’ team of any other political party.

Speaking during a convention organised by the JD(S) minorities wing at the Palace Grounds, Kumaraswamy said that there were no differences like ‘A’ or ‘B’ teams among parties with secular ideologies.

Kumaraswamy made the ‘B’ team reference recalling the accusations made by the Congress, his current coalition partner, during the Assembly elections last May. Before forming the government with the JD(S), the Congress had questioned the regional party’s secular credentials by accusing it of being the ‘B’ team of the BJP.

The JD(S) had gone on to losing a large chunk of Muslim votes during the Assembly elections. By organising the minorities convention, however now hopes to consolidate the Muslim votes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Kumaraswamy said that it was imperative for the secular forces to be voted to power to protect the constitutional rights of the religious minorities who were feeling increasingly vulnerable under the Modi regime.

He said that his father and party supremo H D Deve Gowda was the only leader who could bring the secular forces together.

“Only Deve Gowda has the mettle to tie up Modi’s Ashwamedha horse. It is important for the minority communities to keep faith in him,” he added.

Earlier, Gowda said that when the Congress extended its unconditional support to the JD(S) to form the government, leaders from all secular parties parties in the country had attended Kumaraswamy’s oath taking ceremony.

“As prime minister, I had ensured that there was no violence during the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. I ensured that the Muslim youths could join the army. However, everybody knows what’s happening in the country in the last four years. If the minorities want to live in peace, they should vote the secular forces to power,” he added.