Reacting to opposition leader Siddaramaiah equating the RSS and BJP to the Taliban, Karnataka state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel on Wednesday termed the senior Congress leader as a terrorist. Hitting back at Kateel for his remark, the Congress said that the BJP has been 'Talibanised'. Kateel alleged that during Siddaramaiah's tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the maximum number of murders took place in the state
He further claimed that during that period, as many as 24 Hindu youth were lynched in Dakshina Kannada district alone. He also alleged that a young girl was murdered in front of her college in Sullia, while everyday there were reports of cow slaughter from across the state when Siddaramaiah was at the helm. However, he did not offer any substantial proof to back his allegations.
"For all these reasons, I call Siddaramaiah a terrorist," Kateel said. Siddaramaiah's position is unstable in his own party, and the Congress' status is also unstable in the state, he added. Hitting back, the Congress attacked the ruling BJP by stating that the terrorist groups allegedly nursed by the BJP unleashed 'goondaagiri' in the state. The Congress claimed that just like the Taliban, the BJP is attacking the sons and daughters of others, adding that the saffron party has been Talibanised.
Countering the comment by the BJP on Siddaramaiah's 'dhoti' coming off during the Assembly session last week, the Congress said that 'dhoti' is a symbol of Karnataka's culture, which sometimes comes off and people tie them again. But BJP leaders videos after removing their pants are not natural, the Congress said, adding that BJP leaders approaching the court to bring a stay on the broadcasting of their CDs is unnatural too.
The Congress made these remarks in the backdrop of the alleged sex CD case involving former minister Ramesh Jarakiholi, when many state BJP ministers obtained stay orders from the court against broadcasting of CDs or DVDs on them. Reacting to this, senior BJP leader DV Sadananda Gowda said that had the Taliban been ruling the state, Siddaramaiah would have been tied and dragged in the streets.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah had stated that the country got Independence because of the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and not because of the RSS.