BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa accused the Congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of “harassing patriots while turning a blind eye to the anti-national elements” in society.
Speaking to media persons in Mysuru on Sunday, Mr. Eshwarappa said that an SDPI leader questioned the court ruling on Gyanvapi mosque and should have been issued a notice and prosecuted for his incendiary statements. “Similarly, D.K. Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, spoke of a separate nationhood for southern States and should have been arrested for his separatist demand. But instead, FIR is being registered against me for calling for a suitable law to shoot people making anti-national remarks,” he added.
Incidentally, a case has been registered, against Mr. Eshwarappa for his remarks calling for a law to shoot anti-nationals. Mr. Eshwarappa had remarked concerning the statements of Mr. Suresh who had spoken of a separate southern State in the context of disparity in tax devolution.
Mr. Eshwarappa said he will not be cowed down by such complaints and was trained to wage a struggle for what he believed to be a noble cause. “Many such complaints have been registered against me in the past but the court has given me a clean chit in all of them. But the Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar has been in jail over tax evasion while the Chief Minister was recently imposed a fine of ₹10,000,” said Mr. Eshwarappa who added that he was “confident” that Mr. Shivakumar would go to jail soon on tax evasion charges.
