Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has alleged that those raising funds for the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya were marking the houses of those who have not contributed, on the lines of the Nazis of Germany who had a marking system to identify the Jews.
Speaking at a press conference in Shivamogga on Monday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he came to know about this “system” recently. “I don’t know where these developments will take us to. You all know what happened in Germany under the Nazi rule. Lakhs of people lost their lives in that country. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh took birth in India at the same time when the Nazis came into existence in Germany. Many people are worried about the consequences if the Nazi model is emulated here,” he said.
He also said people were being denied the right to express their opinions. The country is under an undeclared emergency. “Mediapersons don’t know what will happen to them if they raise their voice against the government. So imagine the plight of the common man,” he said.
Regarding the BJP rule in the State, Mr. Kumaraswamy said it was not the BJP that was in power in Karnataka. “Actually, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s family is ruling the State,” he said. “The Chief Minister has enhanced the funds for his constituency, Shikaripur, to ₹1,000 crore, while I had allotted ₹285 crore when I was Chief Minister.”
The JD(S) leader also said the State government had promised ₹5 lakh for those who lost their houses in the floods, but many have not got more than ₹1 lakh. “However, now the government has said that there were no applicants to take the money,” he said.
To a query, Mr. Kumaraswamy said former MLA Madhu Bangarappa was still with the JD(S). “He has not said he will quit the JD(S). He is still my brother,” he said.
