KALABURAGI: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that no Hindus were murdered in communal clashes in Karnataka when he was chief minister. He told reporters here on Tuesday that some Hindus and minorities were killed during his regime as chief minister, but that was a different issue. He blamed the BJP and RSS for these murders.
“Several Hindu organisations had created a hue and cry against my government over the murder of Paresh Mesta at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district in December 2017, and demanded a CBI inquiry. My government handed over the investigation to the CBI, which gave its report that it was a natural death,” Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah reiterated that he belonged to the Hindu religion and has neither spoken against it nor opposed the religion, but only said that no religion preaches violence. “The BJP and RSS are bent on disturbing communal harmony,” he added.
To a question, Siddaramaiah felt that Bommai might not have expanded his Cabinet to avoid giving a berth to former CM B S Yeddyurappa’s son. To another question, he said the Congress high command is likely to release the first list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in the last week of February or first week of March.