MYSURU: Claiming that he is a “better Hindu than Amit Shah”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dared the BJP president to prove “with documents” that he is not a Jain. At an interaction organised at Mysore District Journalists Association, Siddaramaiah asked Shah to come out with documents to substantiate his claims that he is a Hindu Vaishnav.
Referring to Shah’s frequent remarks dubbing him ‘Ahindu’ (anti-Hindu), the Chief Minister said, “I am a better Hindu than Shah. I believe in humanity and humanitarian values. They are inhumane people who politicise even deaths”.
On Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde’s claim that the collision of his escort vehicle with a lorry in Haveri district was a premeditated bid on his life, Siddaramaiah said blaming the government for every incident is a joke.
“Being a minister, he should not make such baseless statements”, he said. Referring to BJP leaders’ visits to the kin of slain Hindu activists, ignoring tragedy stricken people of another community in Dakshina Kannada district, Siddaramaiah said, “if they really cared for values, why didn’t they visit the houses of the Muslim youths, who were killed in the same place? This shows the double standards of the party leaders who truly behave in contrast to their slogan of sabka saath sabka vikas”.
Siddaramaiah said the wave of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the wane and the Congress will bounce back at the national level.
RaGa to visit Gonikoppal
Madikeri: President of Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi, for the first time will be visiting Kodagu on April 27 for election campaign. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary B G Mittu Chengappa confirmed that Rahul Gandhi would be addressing a public gathering at Dasara Ground in Gonikoppal of Virajpet constituency.
It is likely that the INC president will begin the public campaign after visiting the birth place of river Cauvery, Talacauvery, to offer pooja.
5 cases against Hebbalkar
Belagavi: Though KPCC Women’s Wing president Lakshmi Hebbalkar has not won an election till date, her affidavit shows she has been involved in various violations of the Representation of People’s Act. According to the affidavit submitted by Lakshmi Hebbalkar, a total of six cases are pending against her; five of which are for violating the Representation of People’s Act.
The first two cases filed against Lakshmi on April 29, 2014, are during the course of Lok Sabha elections, where she was booked on two counts.
Siddu, GTD file papers
MYSURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is facing the toughest ever challenge in his political career, filed his nomination as a Congress candidate from Chamundeshwari on Friday, so also did G T Devegowda, a sitting Janata Dal (Secular) MLA, who hopes to retain the seat.
As could only be expected, the twin-event was not devoid of rumblings associated with the clash of two heavyweights, and supporters of both leaders ended up clashing here.