Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that the Chief Secretary would not have sent letters to the Deputy Commissioners of the districts to remove religious structures that had come up in public places without the knowledge of the State government.
Claiming that the government was aware of the drive, he said Chief Minister Bommai’s decision to suspend the operation and discuss the matter in the Cabinet was part of the “drama enacted by the government” following public outcry.
He said the government should have stopped the drive when the Chief Secretary wrote the letter. “But, they did not do it”, he said while accusing the BJP of practising ‘fake’Hindutva. The BJP had no respect for Hindu religion and Hindu temples, Mr. Siddaramaiah alleged while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
However, he said the Congress has no pretensions like the BJP towards religion. “We respect God. We respect Rama. But, we don’t misuse religion for votes or politics”, he said while accusing BJP of dishonesty when it comes to religion. “They misuse religion for votes”, he said.
Mr .Siddaramaiah had also tweeted his criticism of the demolition of an old temple in Hullahalli in Nanjangud.
