A day after BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde abused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and spoke of demolishing mosques in Bhatkal, Srirangapatna, and Sirsi, Congress leaders hit back at him on Sunday, with the sharpest attack coming from Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi.
The Kumata police have already filed a suo motu case against the MP on charges of spreading hate.
While several Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, were measured in their criticism of Mr. Hegde, Mr. Tangadagi went ballistic against the MP and spoke in a similar vein on Sunday.
Mr. Siddaramaiah himself on Saturday said: “Culture cannot be expected from him (Mr. Hegde).” Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna and Home Minister G. Parameshwara had also condemned Mr. Hegde’s statement.
The Uttara Kannada MP had in a speech at the party office in Kumta addressed the Chief Minister in the singular while speaking about demolition of mosques at the aforementioned places, claiming that they were built after destroying temples. “This can be considered a threat. It (demolition) will definitely be carried out. This is not Hegde’s decision, but the decision of Hindu society,” he said on Saturday.
On Sunday addressing Mr. Hegde in the singular and comparing him to a “dog”, Mr. Tangadagi told a Kannada news channel: “Who is this small man Anant Hegde? He does not have a standing to speak in the singular against Mr. Siddaramaiah. We also speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Have we spoken against him like this? Because elections are approaching, they are remembering Pakistan, Muslims, and temples.”
Claiming that they had been tutored to speak in a cultured way by party seniors, the Minister said: “He (Mr. Hegde) is not comparable even to the dirt on Mr. Siddaramaiah’s feet. We can teach these kinds of dogs a lesson. This is the first and last warning. If he speaks about Mr. Siddaramaiah or Congress again, I will respond in his language. Even I know how to speak in his language.”
“I have been taught culture and not to use such language by seniors in party. I should not speak like this and I do not want to speak like this. I can use even worse language in our north Karnataka way,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Kumata police have registered a suo motu case against the MP.
Based on a complaint by police sub-inspector (law and order), the Kumta police have registered a case against the MP under Section 153 A and 505 (2) of the IPC for spreading hate by his speech at the party meeting, Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police N. Vishnuvardhan told The Hindu. The police said that they would seize video evidence of the speech and initiate investigation, he added.
BJP divided
Meanwhile, the response among BJP leaders on Mr. Hegde’s remarks remained divided.
In Shivamogga, former Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa pointed out that Mr. Siddaramaiah had also addressed Mr. Modi in the singular. He also justified Mr. Hegde’s statement that mosques had been built by demolishing temples, and said that there was nothing wrong in the statement.
However, another former Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan did not justify the statement against Mr. Siddaramaiah.
“I am not saying that Mr. Hegde was right. We have to respect everyone. When such mistakes happen, it has to be set right. In politics, use of such language is common. However, if a police complaint needs to be registered for that, several Congress leaders may also have to be booked on similar grounds.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok said in Bengaluru that it is wrong to personally abuse anyone. “We cannot agree with it (abuse).”
