BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi waded into controversy on Thursday by saying that the Congress was free to open a canteen in the name of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in party office or “open a bar or a hookah bar” there in the name of the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
This comes a day after RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa drew ire by using an expletive to describe Congress leaders.
Mr. Ravi’s statement triggered sharp reactions from Congress leaders, who said it reflects badly on him rather than the late leaders he is referring to. Mr. Ravi has been demanding that Indira Canteens, which provide free food to the poor, started during the time of the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah, be renamed “Annapoorneshwari Canteen”.
Mr. Ravi said naming of the canteen was aimed at getting “political mileage” and “loot money in the name of Indira Gandhi”. He went on to say that he would have no problem if the Congress opens a canteen in the name of Indira Gandhi or Nehru on the party office premises or name a hookah bar after Nehru. Claiming that he or his party had no prejudice against Indira Gandhi or Nehru, Mr. Ravi said his objection was to giving them credit for everything.
Reacting sharply to the statements of Mr. Ravi, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar told presspersons that Mr. Ravi’s remarks reflect the culture of the BJP. It does not behove Mr. Ravi, who was Kannada and Culture Minister once, to make futile attempts to bring a bad name to tall national leaders like Nehru or Indira Gandhi, he said.
Mr. Shivakumar said that one of the Ministers in the current Cabinet had back then led the initiative to collect signatures of legislators to name the canteen after Indira Gandhi. He, however, did not name the Minister.
‘Act according to position’
Congress Working Presidents Ramalinga Reddy, Saleem Ahmed, and Ishwar Khandre also took objection to the statement. Mr. Reddy said: “Indira Canteen was started to address poor people’s hunger and the BJP is only politicising the matter. Mr. Ravi is the BJP national general secretary and should not speak in such a manner.”
Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Ravi should act according to his position and not with utter ignorance about history. “He should read history and learn to accord respect to national leaders,” he said.
