Bengaluru: The BJP is outraged against Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement that Lingayat Chief Ministers were most corrupt.
In a response to a mediapersons question two days ago, Siddaramaiah had made the above statement which has gone viral on social media.
In a series of tweets, State Unit BJP said that the Congress in the year 2018 tried to break Veerashaiva Lingayats and Lingayats.
BJP (BJP Karnataka) state unit said, “Siddaramaiah, who had previously tried to create a rift between Veerashaiva Lingayat and Lingayat community, has now made an unbearable statement that all the Chief Ministers from the community were corrupt and ruined the state. 7 crore Kannadigas who follow the ideals of Jagadguru Basavanna, will never forgive them. ”
The BJP further tweeted, “The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community will give a befitting answer in the elections to the state Congress. The state’s largest community has been humiliated by the leaders of the state.”
“The Congress anti-Veerashaiva Lingayat acts are known to the people. For decades, the Congress has been sidelining the Veerashaiva Lingayat community. There are many examples to that effect. Former Chief Minister Veerendra Patil of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community was removed from the post by the then Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the airport itself. This is a solid insult from the Congress to the Veerashaiva Lingayat community in Karnataka,” BJP tweeted .
“After Veerendra Patil was dismissed as Chief Minister in 1991, the Congress has so far not made any Veerashaiva Lingayat community the Chief Minister. In 2008, when the farmer Yediyurappa got a reign, the Congress party misused Governor Hansraj Bharadwaj’s office, which was jealous of Veerashaiva Lingayat, and made Yediyurappa vacate the CM’s post.”
After series of tweets, the Congress leaders trying to do damage control. Siddaramaiah clarified that he has great respect for the Lingayat community. He said, “I have only made a statement on CM Bommai. The Congress made Nijalingappa, Veerendra Patil, J. H. Patel and S. R. Kanthi as Chief Ministers who were all leaders from the Lingayat community. My statement is twisted by BJP social media. In the backdrop of the election they are trying to twist my statement, he said. He questioned why Congress was giving that many seat if we had no confidence in the Lingayas.
Siddu alleged that the RSS, BJP and Minister Somanna were trying to defeat him in Varuna Constituency. Even JD (S) and BSP fielded Dalit candidates against him to split Dalits votes, he observed.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who reacted to the allegation of Siddaramaiah said that, ” I need not get certificate of honesty from anyone. Bommai in a tweet stated, “Siddaramaiah’s Government is known as the most corrupt Government in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah abolished Lokayukta and created an ACB to hide scandals.”
He said Siddaramaiah headed a corrupt Government from 2013-18. “It is your reputation that made the Lokayukta complete inactive. You formed the ACB and worked to cover up all the scandals, protect the corrupt officers and the politicians. Congress has no moral authority to talk about corruption.”
On other hand BJP launched an aggressive campaign in Varuna constituency to defeat Siddaramaiah.