Pointing to veteran Congress leader and All India Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, BJP State unit vice-president N. Mahesh has called upon people to uproot the dominance of dynastic politics.
“First, I should enjoy power. My son will enjoy it after me. If my grandchildren are not yet ready to enter politics, my son-in-law will take the reins. This is called dynastic politics. This is what is happening in Kalaburagi. Is Kalaburagi the property of their [Kharge] family? Isn’t there any able leader in the district who can get elected in the elections and represent the people? After the end of the tyranny of Hyderabad Nizam in Kalyana Karnataka, these people [the Kharges] have emerged as the new Nizams. We need to fight dynastic politics and uproot it,” he said.
He was addressing a gathering of people at Bhima Samavesh, a Dalit conference, held at S.M. Pandit Rangamandir in Kalaburagi on Wednesday. The event was organised by BJP’s Scheduled Castes Morcha.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a clean, non-corrupt politician, Mr. Mahesh challenged the Kharge family to disclose its property and compare it with that of Mr. Modi’s.
“Mr. Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat for 15 years. He is serving as the Prime Minister for the last 10 years. Mr. [Mallikarjun] Kharge must check how much wealth Mr. Modi has amassed for himself in these years and compare it with the property that he amassed, before criticising Mr. Modi,” he said.
Mr. Mahesh also reminded the audience of the imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi and questioned Mr. Kharge, who often says that democracy is under threat during Modi’s rule, why he does not remember the blatant violation of democratic principles by his late party leader.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is no different. Under his rule, the anti-Constitution and anti-national elements have gained the courage to speak and act against the nation. The recent incident involving ‘pro-Pakistan’ sloganeering by Congress activists in the Vidhana Soudha shows how the Congress is threatening the very Constitution,” he said.
‘Funds illegally diverted’
Lok Sabha member from Kolar S. Muniyappa said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah illegally diverted ₹14,282 crore meant for Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) schemes to the Congress’ guarantee schemes.
“Though the money meant for most backward and marginalised communities has been diverted to fulfil the Congress’ guarantee schemes, no leader from these oppressed communities has raised his voice against it yet,” he said.
The former Minister Malikayya Guttedar said that the Congress had insulted and worked against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar by defeating him in the elections.
Lok Sabha member from Kalaburagi Umesh Jadhav, Kalaburagi Mayor Vishal Dargi, the former legislator Subhash Guttedar, BJP Scheduled Castes Morcha’s State vice-president Ambaraya Ashtagi and other leaders were present.
