Javadekar hits out at CM over bandh

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of resorting to "undemocratic politics of ensuring bandh" on the days the BJP ralllies are scheduled in the state.

He urged Siddaramaiah not to put any such hurdle on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Bengaluru on February 4 to adddress a BJP rally.

"Karntaka people have given a befitting reply to Siddaramaiah's worst undemocratic politics of ensuring bandh on important rally days of the BJP. On January 25, BJP president Amit Shah was in Mysuru to attend an event. But, the state government issued orders that the police should ensure that no vehicle plies on the road from dawn to dusk," Javadekar, who is co-incharge of BJP affairs in Karnataka, told reporters here.

"I hope wisdom will ultimately prevail on him (Siddaramaiah) and he won't resort to undemocratic politics as he did on January 25. You can not just issue a directive to police to ensure vehicles do not ply on roads on rally days of the BJP just because some fringe outfits have given a call for bandh on such days," he said.

It is "very unfair" on the part of Siddaramaiah to allow rallies of his party president Rahul Gandhi and not others. "This is not done," he added.