Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP/ANK)
Mangaluru, Oct 9: Addressing a press conference in the city on Monday, October 9, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, severely criticized BJP, Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, and Hindu outfits.
On the cancellation of national BJP president, Amit Shah's proposed visit to the city, he felt that it was cancelled because of the fact that BJP leaders have lost their hopes of good performance in Dakshina Kannada district. He expressed confidence that Congress will get popular votes in the district during the next election, as he felt that the people will this time support the party that protects communal harmony.
On the issue of Yogi Adityanath's criticism about the state government, Rai pointed out that hundreds of small children had died in Uttar Pradesh for want of oxygen and that law and order situation in that state has been abysmal. "Yogi Adityanath has not been able to perform in his own state, but he has the guts to come here and give advice to others," he pointed out.
“BJP are a group of radicals who instigate communal violence for the purpose of vote. A lot of innocent people were killed like Harish Poojary and Karthik Raj just to instigate communal violence and to gain votes. BJP should be ashamed to roam with the accused of Vinayak Baliga’s murder. Harish Poojary was not involved in any organization and Karthik Raj murder was politicized by BJP,” stated Rai.
On a query about Nalin Kumar’s allegation that drug mafia has been on a rise since four years, Rai replied, "I do not agree with the statement of Nalin Kumar Kateel, as drug mafia existed even during BJP's rule. Drug mafia has to be controlled for which a special team will be formed soon.”
He also said, “To bring an end to the scarcity of sand, the government has ordered to provide license for the extraction of sand in both CRZ and non-CRZ areas.”
Commenting about the controversial statement of Sri Ram Sene head, Prmod Mutalik, seeking to sever business links with Muslims, Rai took Mutalik to task in singular. "Mutalik is nobody. He is trying to become a leader by raining abuses against others," he said. Ramanath Rai also said that respectable persons have no place in BJP as it is full of radicals.
Lampooning Bajrang Dal, he stated that a person facing highest number of cases is offered the post of the president in that outfit while the post of the vice president goes to people with second highest number of cases.
Mayor Kavitha Sanil, Corporator Shashidhar Hegde, Mithun Rai, Ibrahim Kodijaal, BH Khader and others were present.