Kumaraswamy apprehensive of BJP rule in Karnataka

Expressing concern over the recent violent incidents in Bangalore involving suspected Sangh Parivar activists, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he is haunted by the prospect of handing over power to the BJP, which exploits religious sentiments of the people.

Claiming that police reports had established that Sangh Parivar activists were involved in not only the attack on the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s daughter, but also the torching of a Chennai-bound bus, Kumaraswamy said he was now being forced to think twice before passing on the mantle to the BJP as per the power-sharing agreement.

Kumaraswamy’s apprehensions over BJP rule assume significance as they have been aired barely ten days before the scheduled transfer of power from the JD (S) to BJP on October 3.

Speaking to reporters in Davangere, Kumaraswamy came down heavily on the Sangh Parivar outfits for resorting to violence over the Sethusamudram project. “The project was not an issue concerning the people of Karnataka and the statement made by a politician of another state should not be opposed in such a manner”, he added.

He said the JD (S) had entered into an alliance with the BJP under certain circumstances to form a Government. “This does not mean our party will tolerate communal fanaticism”, the Chief Minister clarified.

However, Kumaraswamy said he would stick to his commitment and hand over the reins of power to the BJP on the condition that the saffron party ensures that such incidents don’t recur.

Meanwhile, participating in an Iftar party in Shimoga, the Chief Minister lashed out at the BJP’s Hindutva-based politics and called upon the minorities to support the JD (S) so that the party can solve the festering dispute over the shrine of Bababudangiri.

Referring to the BJP’s communal politics, Kumaraswamy said that everybody knows that the BJP is trying to create unrest in the society by raising the Datta Peetha issue every year. “They are deriving political mileage out of it. Support the JD (S) and help us solve the dispute just as we solved the Hubli Eidgah Maidan dispute”, Kumaraswamy said.

“If the BJP is really concerned about Rama Sethu, let them build bridges between people of different communities instead of dividing them”, he remarked.