Congress doesn't want to get involved in polarisation issue, leave it to BJP, says D K Shivakumar

Emotional issues do not have any value and we must remember that India is a land of diversity, he said

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress does not want to get involved in polarisation and is leaving that issue to the Bhartiya Janata Party.

“Let us not discuss issues on emotions, let us only discuss issues of development. Emotional issues do not have any value and we must remember that India is a land of diversity. We don't want to go to any polarization issue and we leave that chapter to BJP, ” he told reporters here on his way to Ujjain.

On the issue of whether chapters related to the first RSS chief Keshav Baliram Hedgewar are being removed in Karnataka, he said India is a land of diversity.

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Queried on whether the land given to RSS and its affiliated organisations by the previous BJP government in Karnataka would be taken back, he said, “Such issues are looked into by the minister of the concerned department. Who all are eligible, who all are doing good charitable works will be looked into".

Responding to a query on the poll promise by Karnataka on banning Bajrang Dal-like organisations, he said, “Any organisation which tries to bring unrest, destroy the peace of the state...we are looking into them and we will set an example. No moral policing will be allowed and no one should unnecessarily create confusion in the minds of the people. Karnataka is a developing state and we will restore peace".

He didn't respond to the query on a statement by a BJP leader who said that by keeping a beard like Osama Bin Laden, Rahul Gandhi wants to become like prime minister Narendra Modi. The Karnataka deputy CM said he didn't understand the question in Hindi.

BJP’s Bihar chief Samrat Choudhary has stoked a controversy by comparing Rahul Gandhi’s appearance to slain terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

On the issue of upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Shivakumar said, “People have decided for change. They have understood the present government has failed. People have also seen the role of the opposition. Congress will have a mandate with an absolute and clear majority (in MP)”.