Former Minister B.T. Lalitha Naik ruled that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had shunned his secular credentials and embraced the saffron brigade.
Speaking at Kuvempu Kranti Kahale 50, a programme to mark 50 years of delivery of two speeches by the poet laureate calling people to shun sectarianism and embrace reason, she said as Kannadigas it was a matter of pride for someone from the State to have occupied the post of the Prime Minister. But the pride has been dashed. Though it is his son H.D. Kumaraswamy who has embraced the BJP, Mr. Deve Gowda should have opposed it, she added.
Referring to the circulation of the phrase “coronation’’ in certain quarters in the event Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister again, Ms. Naik said this would amount to regression to the days of Manu.
“Some people were speaking of coronation (‘’Pattabhisheka’’) of Mr. Modi as the prime minister after the consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. But coronation is a concept that belongs to the realms of the past when there were kings and emperors. If we are to witness the coronation of Mr. Modi, then it is a regression and amounts to erosion of democracy and constitutional values,” she added.
Writer L.N. Mukundraj said the Mandya flag incident has shamed the district and while former Chief Minister and JD(S) president has aligned with the BJP for political gains, there was nothing in it for the workers and the youth should realize it.
