Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 18: The BJP has hit out at the Congress on two counts on Monday, for allegedly vilifying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and calling the prime minister Narendra Modi an “angootha chhap” (illiterate). The Congress has disputed both the allegations though about Modi it said the comment was “unfortunate” but there was no reason to “retract it or apologise for it.”
Bitter political sparring began in Karnataka on the eve of the byelections to two state Assembly constituencies as the Congress attacked Modi as “angootha-chhap” or illiterate. “Congress built schools but Modi never went to study. Congress even set up schemes for adults to learn, Modi didn’t learn there too. People who chose to beg for a living despite beggary being prohibited are today pushing citizens to beggary. Country is suffering because of “#angoothachhap modi,” the Karnataka Congress tweeted in Kannada. The comment was called out by many as a personal attack on the Prime Minister taking the electioneering to a new low.
The BJP’s Karnataka spokesperson, Malavika Avinash, said “only the Congress could stoop so low” and added that the comment did not even merit a response. State Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal admitted that the tone of the tweet was “unfortunate” and said there would be an inquiry. But she said she saw no reason to retract it or apologise for it.
Bypolls will be held for the assembly constituencies of Sindagi and Hangal on October 30. The seats fell vacant after the death of a Janata Dal Secular MLA and a BJP legislator. Much is at stake for the ruling BJP as this is the first vote after Basavaraj Bommai replaced BS Yediyurappa as Chief Minister. Hangal is right next to the new Chief Minister’s constituency Shiggaon. The Congress hopes to score both the seats as a boost ahead of state polls in 2023.
In another development, the BJP attacked the Congress over alleged discussions during its Working Committee meeting held over the weekend claiming that a leader from Kashmir had vilified Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the icons of the party. Highlighting reports by a section of the media on the discussions at the meeting of the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said it was claimed that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was in league with Muhammad Ali Jinnah to keep Jammu and Kashmir out of India.
“It was published in the news today… At the CWC meeting, Tariq Hameed Karra spoke of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It (his remarks), are objectionable,” Patra said. Tariq Hameed Karra, he said, had apparently claimed that Sardar Patel had met with the Pakistan founder.
“He said Sardar Patel wanted to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India, while Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to keep Jammu and Kashmir in India. The manner in which Sardar Patel was being spoken about at this meeting — did Sonia Gandhi say anything on this? Patel was vilified because of the Congress leader’s sycophancy towards the Gandhi family,” Patra told reporters.
“Was Karra reprimanded? Will he be axed from the CWC?” Patra questioned, referring to the permanent invitee. “What sort of mindset is this that one family has done everything and others have done nothing? What the CWC has done is a sin,” he said.
The Congress has hotly denied that any such discussion took place. Tweeting a clip of the news story, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala posted: “Seems spreading canards and lies, on behalf of Modi Govt, has become the norm for some newspapers. Never question the BJP Govt, Spread lies about Opposition, Give cover fire to Modi Govt to justify lies driven Press Conferences….Is the new standard of journalism.”
Karra – a former minister of Jammu and Kashmir — said his remarks have been “misrepresented.” “I don’t know what quarters want to misrepresent it. I read in a leading newspaper today where they had misrepresented facts. It has to be seen who said these things outside, it’s serious,” he said.
Meanwhile, the activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad forced their way into a makeshift church in Karnataka’s Hubbali on Sunday morning and sang bhajans and Hindu prayer songs as a protest, alleging forced religious conversions there.
A video of the incident showed dozens of women and men sitting inside the Bairidevarkoppa Church in Hubbali around 11 am singing bhajans with folded hands over their heads. Later, the local BJP MLA Arvind Bellad blocked a highway demanding the arrest of pastor Somu Avaradhi.
Both sides – members of the church and the activists of the right-wing organisations – alleged that they were attacked over the incident. Pastor Somu and some of his associates were admitted to hospital with minor injuries. The pastor and others have been named in a complaint under the law for protection of Scheduled Castes and Tribes as well as one against “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” He has been arrested and three others were let off after questioning.
The church authorities said they filed a complaint in the matter on Monday as well. Labu Ram, the Commissioner of Police for Hubli-Dhadwad, confirmed the incident and said, “The investigation is going on. Only Somu Avaradhi has been arrested. So far, we have not received any complaint from the church.”
