Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa likened the BJP leaders to the British and said that the saffron party always tried to poach legislators from different parties to grab power.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party should be renamed as British Janata Party. Just like the British came to India for trading, the BJP has always tried to make a backdoor entry by indulging in horse-trading to satisfy its hunger for power,” Mr. Bangarappa said.
Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi on Friday, Mr. Bangarappa said that the BJP in Karnataka has never crossed 113 seats, majority mark required to form the government, as voters have not favoured the saffron party. So, the BJP always makes an attempt to poach legislators, he added.
The Minister accused the BJP of distorting and misusing religion to exploit the sentiments of the people for its political gain. Lord Rama resides in the hearts of people, but BJP leaders have brought him to the streets, he said.
Accusing the BJP-led Central government of favouring industrialists by waiving their loans, Mr. Bangarappa said that it has failed to show the same concern towards debt-ridden farmers.
The BJP leaders during the election campaign said that the Congress guarantee schemes have got no warranty, he said. But the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has successfully implemented all guarantees, while most of the BJP workers are also the beneficiaries of the guarantee schemes, he added.
Reacting to BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s statement that the Congress-led State government will collapse after the Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Bangarappa said that Mr. Yatnal should start a fortune-telling business.
Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board chairman Ajay Singh and Member of Legislative Assembly M.Y. Patil were present.
