Dividing communities is Siddaramaiah's secularism, says HD Kumaraswamy

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying that dividing dharma and communities was his definition of secularism.

"Dividing dharma and communities is your definition of secularism. For me secularism is taking everybody together. I don't know any definition of it," he stated in an open letter addressed to the chief minister, who has been questioning the secular credentials of the JD(S) of late.

The ruling Congress has been attacking the JD(S) on the issue of secularism. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had earlier remarked that the 'S' in the party's name stood for Sangh Parivar and accused the JD(S) of being the 'B' team of the BJP in the state. The Congress aims to consolidate Muslim votes through this strategy.

Furthermore, Kumaraswamy recalled the chief minister's recent statement where he had said that a vote for the JD(S) would only ensure the BJP's victory. But in reality, he said, a vote for the JD(S) would ensure the Congress' defeat.

Supporting the Congress means supporting the plunderers. The Congress will loot the state if it comes back to power. The party will use the hard-earned money of taxpayers for the coming Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Assembly elections, he charged.

The JD(S) leader also took an exception to Siddaramaiah's statement that the JD(S) could not win more than 25 seats in the elections. "Your prediction on other parties has no significance. It is people of the state who decide which party should come to power. Instead of talking lightly about other parties, think about your fate in Chamundeshwari," he stated.