BENGALURU: With a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting Fighter Ravi, who has criminal antecedents, causing embarrassment to the ruling BJP, senior party leader and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said including Ravi in a welcome committee during Modi’s visit to Mandya was a lapse, and an inquiry would be held.
She told the media here that PM Modi was not aware of who Fighter Ravi was, and the Superintendent of Police (SP) should have taken note of the names cleared to meet the PM, but it was not done. “There was a lapse. The PM is not responsible for it, it was our responsibility,” she said. The minister said they will find out how and why he (Fighter Ravi) came to greet the PM, and take corrective steps.
Hitting back at the Congress, that slammed the PM for greeting a person with criminal antecedents, Shobha said the Congress need not troll the PM for this, and they should know there are many rowdy-sheeters in their own party (Congress).
“In the BJP, due to a lapse, a rowdy-sheeter was there (to greet the PM), but in the Congress, leading the party are rowdy-sheeters,” she said, and added that they don’t have the moral right to talk about it.
Responding to a question on reports about senior BJP leader and Housing Minister V Somanna being unhappy in the party, she said the party has a lot of respect for him and he too has great regard for the party.
“It is not true that he is unhappy, they are just rumours,” she said. “Somanna is a senior leader and ever since he came to BJP, we have given him responsibility. In 2008, Somanna was made minister when many senior BJP leaders did not get ministerial berths. When he was not MLA, the party made him MLC. It is not true that Somanna is unhappy. Even today, he is a minister. It is a rumour that he is unhappy in the party. We are in touch with him and he is taking part in the party’s yatra in his constituency. He has travelled across the state and strengthened the party,” she said.