Cong ready for BJP juggernaut in 2018 elections: Parameshwara

DHNS

August 29, 2017

Hubballi, Aug 29: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara said that Congress party will not involve itself in the issue of creation of separate religion of Lingyatas. Speaking to selected media persons at a hotel in Hubballi on Monday night, he said “we are a political party; establishing of religious entities is not our duty. It is the role of religious leaders and community head. Congress will not involve itself in the tug of religious war over the formation of Lingayat community as religion,” he said.

Replying to a question, he said, even the government's stand on this is clear, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has assured that the government would take a call only on the basis of what law states and not make any extra efforts regarding this. He claimed that the issue would not politically benefit Congress party.

The former home minister said that the party has drawn plans to counter the BJP in Karnataka elections in 2018. “We have approximately 210 days for assembly elections. The party has chalked out plans for all the 224 assembly constituencies,” he said and added that majority of its candidates would be sitting MLAs.

“The party and government have so far conducted three internal surveys. Based on the survey reports and ground reports from our observers we will select winnable candidates,” he said and added that majority of 122 sitting MLAs would be given a chance to contest followed by those candidates who lost by narrow margins.

While he did not give an exact number of seats the party is expected to win, he said that the party would get a comfortable majority on its own and there will be no need for any alliance.

He said the party is banking on the various social welfare schemes and bhagyas announced by the Siddaramaiah led government. Nearly five crore people have benefited from one or the other bhagyas of the government, he said and added that the party is also reconsidering few of the schemes that have been seen as 'appeasing' of a certain community like free bus pass to SC/ST students.

Ready for Shah
The longest serving KPPC president Parameshawara said that his party is ready for the Narendra Modi-Amith Shah juggernaut, and said that his government would make sure that communal tensions at the time of elections will be completely controlled.

“We are expecting the BJP to rake up communal issues during the elections and we are prepared to tackle that. Any communal incident will be strongly dealt with,” he said.

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Waqf row: BJP stages ‘our land, our right’ protest across Karnataka for second day

News Network

November 22,2024

Bengaluru, Nov 22: For the second day running, the Karnataka BJP on Friday staged a statewide protest condemning the government’s alleged move to notify land of farmers as Waqf property.

The BJP staged a protest before the offices of Deputy Commissioners at district headquarters.

The BJP leaders are vehemently demanding that the state government cancel a 1974 Gazette notification in this regard.

The agitators are also demanding scrapping of the Waqf Board and the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan.

The BJP MLAs, MLCs, MPs gathered in the premises of Freedom Park and staged a protest under the leadership of Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and slammed the state government.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa led the protest in Mysuru and hundreds of party workers and farmers staged the protest under the leadership of former MP Pratap Simha in Kodagu.

Former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh led the agitation in Mandya.

This was the first time that Sumalatha took part in the party’s programme after the Lok Sabha elections.

State President B.Y. Vijayendra claimed, “The Congress government in Karnataka is issuing notices to farmers claiming the ownership of their lands to the Waqf Board and pushing them on the streets overnight.”

In the first week of December, three teams formed by the BJP will travel across the state and record the grievances of farmers.

“The state government is attempting to snatch away the lands belonging to temples as well,” Vijayendra alleged and added that the teams would comprise all senior leaders of the BJP.

Meanwhile, the police have taken Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik into custody while staging a protest march to the office of Zameer Ahmad Khan in Bengaluru.

Muthalik along with Hindutva activists was planning to lay siege to Zameer’s office over the Waqf row.

The police stopped Muthalik and requested him to submit the memorandum by reaching the minister’s office in a vehicle. However, Muthalik refused to go with the police and continued his footmarch. The police took him into custody following arguments.

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