BENGALURU: Home Minister Basavraj Bommai is considered a close confidante of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and it reflects in the all-important Home portfolio he holds in the state cabinet. Till recently, he also had the additional charge of the powerful cooperation ministry. Son of former Chief Minister SR Bommai, he was the water resources minister in the BJP government in 2008.
He spoke at length on issues ranging from Amulya Leona raising a pro-Pakistan slogan, anti-CAA protests across the state that are refusing to die down, police action against protesters in Bidar and Mangalore, an anonymous letter circulating against BS Yediyurappa and a meeting of alleged party dissidents at Jagadish Shettar’s house. Here are the excerpts.
The law and order situation in the state has been challenging over the last few weeks with anti-CAA protests refusing to die down. Like Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, Bilal Bagh too has become the centre of anti-CAA protests in Bengaluru... It is a political conspiracy. While they (the opposition) are not ready to discuss the issue in Parliament, they are trying to mislead the people and make big noise. This violence is being supported by them. In the Lok Sabha, both Home Minister Amit Shahji and PM Narendra Modiji have answered the questions raised. Opposition parties and radical organisations have whipped up an atmosphere of fear among the minorities, and the apprehensions these groups have against CAA are false. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is about giving citizenship, not taking it away from anyone.
Could the police have been a little more sensitive in dealing with the challenges in Mangalore and Bidar?
I have answered this issue extensively in the legislature and I don’t want to repeat myself. But for the record, the Bidar issue is sub-judice as the case is before the court, while the Mangalore issue is under inquiry.
What do you have to say about protester Amulya Leona shouting a pro-Pakistan slogan during an All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) rally?
The police are investigating her antecedents. We are looking for answers to questions like who is backing her and who has trained her. We are investigating the case from all angles, and the police are checking all details. She comes from an area where Naxalism has strong roots and that too is being checked.
What about the anonymous letter asking Chief Minister Yediyurappa to step down and some BJP legislators meeting at the residence of Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar?
B S Yediyurappa is the tallest leader of BJP in the state. No one can challenge him or even come close to his stature or popularity. Let me assure the people of the state that he is not only going to complete the remaining three-and-a-half-years of his term, but also continue to lead the state beyond this term.
Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra too has been named in the anonymous letter... As someone who has studied political developments in the state for long, I can tell you that during any period when a leader grows strong, his detractors aim at soft targets around him. Remember, during Yediyurappa’s first term as CM, they went after his secretary and very upright officer V P Baligar. Similarly, during the then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde’s time, they targeted his family members. During Deve Gowda’s tenure as chief minister and then prime minister, they went after certain members of his family. This is one constant in Karnataka’s politics, and it does not worry us at all. Since we have a strong and capable chief minister, who is leading the party wonderfully, such challenges from opponents are bound to arise.
Are unfulfilled ministerial ambitions of Umesh Katti a cause for concern?
Umesh Katti is our own party man and our leadership is fully equipped to and capable of taking a decision on accommodating him suitably.