Congress 'conspiracy' behind membership cancellation: Muthalik

Controversial chief of right wing outfit Sri Ram Sene, Pramod Muthalik, today claimed it was Congress' "conspiracy" that had stalled his entry into BJP, which quashed his party membership within hours after opposition from within and severe flak from other parties.

"It is a Congress conspiracy. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the majority community after I joined BJP. Congress conspired and stalled my entry into the BJP as their leaders realised my hold among Hindu votes," he told reporters here.

Muthalik, who is facing some 45 cases, including those relating to promoting enmity between two communities, was welcomed into the party fold yesterday and hours later dumped following severe flak from within the BJP and opposition parties, including Congress.

A red-faced BJP central leadership had set aside the membership of Muthalik, linked with the attack by his outfit activists on women in a Mangalore pub in 2009 that had sparked national outrage, as the state leaders' move backfired.

In spite of the "unfortunate development", Muthalik said Ram Sene and its leaders will work toward strengthening BJP from outside. "Once we have accepted each other, there is no point in parting ways," he said.

Muthalik said he was hurt by BJP's "hasty" decision, which was taken after somebody gave a wrong impression about Sri Ram Sene and his leadership.

"Somebody has given wrong information to them. So, in this backdrop, they took a decision. They sould not have taken such a hasty decison. This has hurt my feelings," he said.

51-year-old Muthalik had shot into the limelight after activists of his right-wing outfit barged into a pub in Mangalore in 2009 and assaulted youngsters - women and men - after accusing them of behaving in an "obscene manner".