BENGALURU: Senior BJP leader and Education Minister S Suresh Kumar termed the project to build a Jesus Christ statue in Congress leader DK Shivakumar’s home turf Kanakapura, a clear case of appeasement politics, and the project, coming up on government land, needs to be verified. In an interview with The New Sunday Express, Suresh Kumar said protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and West Bengal Chief Minister giving compensation to families of two men killed in police firing are “politically motivated”. Excerpts:
DK Shivakumar says BJP thrives on creating religious disputes. What do you have to say?
‘Justice for all and appeasement to none’ has been our credo and belief. This is being done in Kapalagudda, a place with a popular Hindu name, and that too on ‘Gomala’ land (government land reserved as animal pasture).
How can an individual purchase it? Even if Gomala land is given, it can be done only for charity and institutions. We don’t know how the cabinet approved it. That’s why I said the issue of taking Gomala land has to be verified. It is a clear case of appeasement.
Was BJP not prepared to convince people about CAA?
Those who had listened to Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha felt there was a need for CAA. He had very clearly stated it is our ‘dharma’ to give shelter to people who lost everything in Pakistan, and have come to India. Our party too planned to go to the people and explain it.
But before that, these people (opposition) started creating confusion and protesting. There are many pro-CAA rallies too, and people are being taken into confidence.
But the protests are continuing?
Some interested persons and organisations who don’t want to see the truth, are instigating it. The whole country knows what CAA and NRC stand for. You can wake up people who are sleeping, but you cannot wake up those who pretend to be sleeping — the situation is something like that.
They want to oppose everything Prime Minister Modi proposes. Unfortunately, they are using gullible citizens in the protests. I think a majority of people know why these stage-managed protests are continuing, and what is their agenda. These protests will peter out.
A delegation from West Bengal gave compensation to families of two men killed in police firing, while the Karnataka government withheld compensation...
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wants to show that she is doing something to counter Modi. Why has she not given compensation to victims of political murders in West Bengal? Instead of ensuring harmony in their own states, they have come to a BJP-ruled state. It is clearly politically motivated, and society will know it is to appease the vote bank.