Accusing the BJP at the Centre of attempting to convert India into a Hindu nation, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has called upon political parties to fight the BJP unitedly. He was speaking at an anti-CAA protest meeting organised by Ittehad Millat council in Hassan on Saturday.
Speeches at protest meetings alone would not yield any result unless the parties opposing the BJP’s ideology join hands and fight together. “The time has come for the parties to unite against the BJP to safeguard India's diversity.” Stating that realising its dream of a Hindu Rashtra would not be easy for the BJP, Mr. Deve Gowda asked Muslims and Dalits to rise to the occasion and oppose the CAA.
Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad came down heavily on BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for his comments against anti-CAA protesters. “He called the protesters puncturewalas. We fix the punctures, but these people puncture the nation’s economy.”
Justice V. Gopala Gowda, former Ministers U.T. Khader and H.D. Revanna, former MP V.S. Ugrappa, JD(S) State president H.K. Kumaraswamy, and Congress MLC M.A. Gopalaswamy were present. Hundreds of people took part in the programme.
