Kumaraswamy slams lathi charge against Panchamasali leaders

New Delhi: Condemning the police lathi charge against Panchamasali community leaders in Belagavi, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that the Congress-ruled government has adopted Germany’s ‘Adolf Hitler path’ to suppress the rights of people.

“It is extremely unfortunate that the Congress government in Karnataka has chosen the ‘Adolf Hitler path’ to suppress the struggle of the Panchamasali community. The disgraceful treatment of revered saints, like Sri Basava Mrityunjaya Mahaswamiji, the Jagadguru of the Panchamasali community, has deeply hurt me. This is a Stone Age mindset government and I condemn it strongly,” Kumaraswamy said in a statement.  

“The revered seer and community leaders have repeatedly appealed to the government regarding their demands. But the government remained deaf and negligent. The brutal police repression of the peaceful protestors, including the seer, community leaders and the people, is unacceptable and condemnable,” he said.   

Kumaraswamy warned, “If the government tries to disrupt peace, it must bear full responsibility. The government must immediately apologise to the revered seer and the community and take urgent steps to address their demands.”  

Calling Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a ‘dictator’, Kumaraswamy, said Karnataka is having a “Tughlaq government.”