Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde, on Tuesday, accused the Congress of striking a deal with terrorists by holding meetings with them, while suppressing patriots.

He was addressing a BJP meeting at Shejwada in the taluk, in which a number of Congress leaders joined the party. 

People in the country suffer atrocities just to protect their identity, the minister said. The Congress must be defeated to protect dharma, which has been disrespected, Hegde said. 

Rajendra Naik, chairman of the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation who was in the Congress for the last 30 years, was among those who joined the BJP.