The BJP on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of failing to maintain law and order after violent protests broke out in parts of the State over the controversial celebration of Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary.
Taking a swipe at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra wondered whether she would hit the streets in Karnataka, protesting the State government’s failure to maintain public order.
The Congress high command, on its part, stood firmly behind the Siddaramaiah government. The AICC media department in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala hit back at the BJP, saying the demand for Siddaramaiah’s resignation was a classical example of the pot calling the kettle black.
Surjewala accused the BJP of twisting facts and glossing over its role in fomenting trouble over the State-sponsored celebration of birth anniversary.
“Instead of demanding the ouster of VHP veteran Ashok Singhal and BJP president Amit Shah for dividing the society on caste and religious lines, the BJP is demanding the resignation of Siddaramaiah,” Surjewala said.
He accused the VHP and the RSS of creating trouble in Kodagu where the government had organised a function to commemorate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan on Tuesday.
The Congress also asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to act against outfits associated with the BJP and the Sangh Parivar such as Sanatan Sena and VHP that are accused of spreading poison in the society in the name of religion and caste.
“The VHP had given a bandh call on Tuesday and took out a protest march in Kodagu for which permission was denied by the police,” Surjewala said.
He said Kuttappa, the organising secretary of VHP, fell to his death while running away from the protest after the police ordered lathi charge to disperse the protestors.
The Congress leader said the VHP, in its complaint filed with the police, had not blamed either the police or the State government for Kuttappa’s death.
The Congress also circulated details of the steps taken by the State government to bring the situation under control.
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