Ruling out the possibility of a change of leadership for BJP in Karnataka, BJP national general secretary and MLA C.T. Ravi said that the party would face the next Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
“There is no ambiguity in BJP on the question of party’s leadership in Karnataka. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would lead the party in the next Assembly elections... Mr. Bommai would decide on the expansion of the cabinet as well,” Mr. Ravi said during an interaction with the journalists at Aiwan-e-Shahi Guest House in Kalaburagi on May 16.
Mr. Ravi justified the State Government’s decision to include Keshava Balirama Hedgewar’s speech in the class 10 textbook saying the BJP government is inculcating the spirit of nationalism among students.
“What is wrong in including Hedgewar’s speech in the textbook? Hedgewar was a nationalist. The Congress and Left parties had suppressed the nationalist thought for a long period. We are upholding and even teaching them to students,” Mr. Ravi said.
On the opposition’s criticisms of the CID investigation into the PSI recruitment exam scam, Mr. Ravi said that those who are not satisfied are free to approach the court.
“The government is making sincere efforts to bring the culprits to justice. We have spared none. Around 200 people have been questioned and 40 have been arrested. There is no question of protecting anybody involved in the scam,” he said.
Speaking to another group of journalists outside Kotanur math near Ram Mandir later in the day, Mr. Ravi, referring to the court-mandated videography survey of the Gyanvapi masjid complex in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, said that thousands of temples in the country were destroyed and replaced with masjids.
“It is a fact that Muslim rulers destroyed temples and built masjids. But, Independent India demands evidence for the fact, and the evidence would be provided by conducting a survey. Same is the case of Jamia Masjid at Srirangapatna. Moodalabagila Anjaneya temple was destroyed and Jamia Masjid was built on the site during the rule of Tipu Sultan,” Mr. Ravi said.
Firearm training
Mr. Ravi also justified Bajrang Dal’s firearm training to youths in Kodagu by stating that they are using air guns.
“Bajrang Dal holds such arms training camps every year. Even the police department gives such training to the public. Imparting self-defence techniques is the purpose of such training. There is nothing wrong,” Mr. Ravi said.
When asked about the ‘one family, one ticket’ rule that Congress is mooting, Mr. Ravi said, “Congress leaders are experts in bypassing the rules they themselves formulate. When they formulated the ‘one family, one ticket’ rule, they also added a clause of exemption. Those who have served in the party for five years would be exempted from the rule. Everybody would take a certificate to show that they had worked for five years and get a ticket. The dynastic politics would continue,” Mr. Ravi said.
