VIJAYAPURA: BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Tuesday slammed the Opposition leader in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah, accusing him of using the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and dalits) grouping to further his political goals, but not to raise voice for them.
“The BJP does not believe in using backward communities as a vote bank, but in working for their development,” he said in his address to party workers after inaugurating a one-day state-level OBC party workers’ committee meeting here.
“There are many leaders in the Congress, such as Siddaramaiah, who floated the AHINDA concept only to use the communities for political benefit. As soon as they achieved their goal, they deserted these communities that supported them in their cause,” Kateel taunted.
He said the BJP government has been working for the welfare of all backward communities as it believes in taking all sections of society along. The Central Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a record by inducting 27 MPs from the OBC category in the Union Cabinet. “I can say with confidence that no party in the past accorded so much political representation in the government to OBCs. PM Modi, who also comes from a backward class community, has taken India to the next level at the global stage,” added Kateel.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Kateel said the party is like a sinking ship. “It is riddled with internal differences as there are two power centers — Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Even after nearly two years of taking charge as KPCC chief, Shivakumar is yet to form a full-fledged working committee. This shows at what pace the grand old party is working in the state,” he said.
Lashing out at Siddaramaiah for not releasing the caste census report during his tenure as CM, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa said Congress leaders want to display that they are with the backward classes. “Siddaramaiah didn’t even utter a word about the caste census in the recently held Assembly session. However, based on the report of Backward Classes Commission, the BJP government will take further decision on the matter,” he said.