Shettar asks CM to prove 'Hindutva terrorists' charge

"I am also a member of BJP and RSS. Book cases against me and arrest me. First, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has to show evidences to support his statement of likening BJP and RSS with terrorist elements," said Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar.

After paying respects to the statue of Swamy Vivekanand, on the occasion of Vivekanand Jayanti, at Unkal Lake here on Friday, he told media persons that Mr Siddaramaiah has lost his mental balance, and is speaking like a mad person.

When Congress is dividing the society for its caste and appeasement politics, the RSS is working to unite the society, with utmost dedication and patriotism. If the chief minister has the guts, he should ban Popular Front of India (PFI), or should send a proposal in this regard to the Union Government, he challenged.

'Cong afraid'

Mr Shettar said, the Congress leaders are afraid of RSS, BJP National President Amit Shah, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddarmaiah are afraid that the rule of Congress in the State would end, if Mr Shah and Mr Modi visit the State. Mr Rahul's visit to the State was postponed, after Mr Modi's programme was fixed, Mr Shettar said.

In reply to Shiv Sena's entry to State politics, he said, "several such parties have come and gone, and nobody can trouble us".

On Mahadayi

Instead of thinking about taking another all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders in Goa should be first convinced to resolve the Mahadayi water sharing dispute through talks, Mr Shettar noted.

Holding the State Congress party itself responsible for Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's 'U-turn' on Mahadayi issue, Mr Shettar charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah acted against the interest of Karnataka, instead of utilising the opportunity which was available after Mr Parrikar wrote a letter to State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa.

"We somehow managed to get a positive response from Mr Parrikar in the efforts to hold talks on Mahadayi water sharing. Mr Siddaramaiah should have submitted that letter before Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal, and should have convinced Goa Congress leaders for talks. As Goa Congress started protesting, Mr Parrikar had to say that the row had to be settled by the tribunal itself," he said.

Mr Siddaramaiah took unilateral decision by saying that Mr Parrikkar's letter to Mr Yeddyurappa is not valid, without consulting legal experts. The Congress wants to keep the Mahadayi issue alive. As the matter is before the tribunal, the need is of consensus among political parties in the concerned States, and not the prime minister's intervention, he added.

Mayor D K Chavan, Corporator Umeshgouda Kaujageri, BJP leaders Nagesh Kalburgi, Tippanna Majjagi, Mahendra Kauthal, and others were present.