VIJAYAPURA: Expressing grief over the brutal murder of student Neha Hiremath recently in Hubballi, Labour Minister Santosh Lad accused the BJP of trying to turn the issue into a religious one to gain political mileage out of a tragic incident.
Addressing media persons here on Sunday, he said the BJP always looks for a communal angle into tragic and unfortunate incidents.
“I am asking the BJP, if the accused were a Hindu, will it take up the issue with the same intensity that it has taken now as the accused belongs to the Muslim community. We have seen murders taking place in Mangaluru also, but the BJP did not make those an issue because there was no Hindu-Muslim angle. The party raises only those criminal acts as its issue if that suits its political ideology,” he said.
The minister said the Congress treats everyone equally and never tries to politicise such sensitive issues.
Replying to allegations that the Congress’ appeasement politics is leading to such crimes, Lad called the allegation rubbish and absurd. “How can any sane government ever support or encourage people to murder. We accept political allegations, but it is too absurd that the Congress is instigating people to commit crimes such as murder,” he shot back.
Claiming that according to a report, some six rapes take place everyday in Gujarat, the minister asked BJP leaders, including MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, to raise their voice in support of the victims and go to Gujarat.
According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), over 13 lakh women have gone missing in the country between 2021-22, but the BJP never raises the issue, he said.
Stating that the BJP has no guts to talk on development, falling GDP, inflation, poverty and unemployment, and raises issues such as Hindu-Muslim, Pakistan, Ram Temple etc.
“The BJP is raising these issues deliberately because they have nothing to say on the development. They have kept hoodwinking people, therefore they cannot talk on development now,” the minister said.
He claimed that since the BJP got exposed on the development front, people of Karnataka will not support the party in the LS polls. “The Congress is going to win at least 15 seats in the LS election,” he said.