Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP), R. Ashoka, on Saturday criticised the Congress government in the state for constantly being engaged in minority appeasement. He also said that this is why the state government reintroduced the hijab and withdrew the Aland riots case.

Speaking to reporters at the state BJP office in Bengaluru, Ashoka alleged that the Congress-led state government had been consistently pursuing policies aimed at appeasing minorities.

Criticising the state government’s decision to withdraw several cases against riots accused, the LoP said cases against people accused of attacking police personnel and damaging the vehicle of a Union minister had also been dropped.

“Even if this (Congress) government is washed with detergent and antiseptic, its mentality will not change. Withdrawing cases against those who allegedly incited communal violence is not right,” he added.

Ashoka said that it was the responsibility of the state government to take all communities together and accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of following what he termed “anti-Constitutional policies”.

“The BJP strongly opposes decisions that could endanger national security. The government must immediately withdraw this order,” he demanded.

He also alleged that the reintroduction of the hijab policy was part of the state government’s appeasement politics and urged the state to instead withdraw cases against farmers and pro-Kannada activists.

“The state government has betrayed the majority community by withdrawing cases against those accused of provoking communal riots,” LoP Ashoka claimed.

He accused the Congress government in the state of indulging in minority appeasement and withdrawing cases related to communal incidents for political gain.

Commenting on the proposed cricket stadium project near Anekal, LoP Ashoka questioned the need for constructing another stadium when the existing cricket stadium is used only a few times a year.

“The government is moving ahead with the project despite opposition from farmers and environmentalists. Nobody asked for another stadium. The Housing Board should build houses for the homeless instead of constructing stadiums,” the LoP said.

He also demanded that the state government disclose details of the land surrounding the proposed stadium project.

On the proposed Bidadi township project, LoP Ashoka alleged that the state government was attempting to build the township “over the graves of farmers” and accused it of engaging in real estate activities.

“There is a real estate business happening here. Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar will benefit by thousands of crores. The BJP had earlier dropped this township project, but now the Congress government is reviving it,” he alleged.

Ashoka warned that if farmers turned against the Congress government, it would face electoral defeat in the next Assembly elections.

“Claims that farmers are supporting the project are false. Those supporting it are not genuine farmers,” he said.

He also alleged that the Congress government was involved in “real estate dealings” across Karnataka, from Bidar to Chamarajanagar, and predicted that the government would not survive politically.

Commenting on the recent fuel price hike, LoP Ashoka said the Centre was not benefiting from the increase and claimed that the Karnataka government would instead earn between Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 7,000 crore in additional revenue through taxes.

–IANS

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