Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Oct 21: District Youth Congress leader Mithun Rai joined for an exclusive interview in the Rough n Right programme on Daijiworld TV.
Speaking about the alleged derogatory comment made on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Mithun said, "The Uttar Pradesh rape victim was treated inhumanly. She even provided the names of the accused in her dying statement. However, the police wiped out the evidence. We will surely protest against this in the near future."
When asked where he and Congress was during Sowjanya rape case, Mithun Rai said, "We had protested in the Sowjanya rape case as well. BJP leaders raised issue about Sowjanya rape case and also about rape case in Kerala. But in both, the government was not involved directly and did not favour the accused. In Uttar Pradesh, the victim was harassed, raped, murdered and was not given treatment for over eight days. The BJP has entered into politics playing the Hindutva card. They won votes through this and came into power. Which Hindutva allows for the cremation to be carried out in the night and forbids the family from performing the rituals? Further, no rituals have been followed for the last rites. I have no faith in the CBI. The FIR in this case, was not filed for 14 days, and the officials manipulated the names of the accused and threatened the families. Even Congress leaders were arrested.”
On a question whether Mithun respects the law, since he carried protests without permission, the Congress leader said, "I did take permission to protest at the Congress office. It is upsetting that only D K Shivakumar was targeted by the police. There are many such BJP leaders who are guilty of scams. However, they escape scot-free as all these agencies are controlled by the BJP."
On the issue of how he would handle the cases filed against him for making derogatory comments on Yogi Adityanath, he said, "I have not said anything wrong. I raised my voice against the Uttar Pradesh chief minister but not against the Jogi community. The saffron attire is a holy attire. When you enter politics with that, the attire loses its importance. If Yogi Adityanath wears saffron attire and enters politics, then he should accept every criticism or else take political retirement and live in a Math.
"On social media channels, BJP representatives who wear the saffron shawl have abused my parents. It is totally wrong to drag families in politics," he said.
When asked what his next target was, Moodbidri or Mangaluru South, Mithun said, "My only target is to see D K Shivakumar as the chief minister (CM) of the state. I have examined several aspects following my defeat in the elections. I am working to strengthen from the booth level. None of the Congress leaders received more than 5 lac votes which reveal that people believe in us. Somewhere amidst the misinformation wave, we found ourselves getting stuck.
“We all have been victims of misinformation amid the Modi wave, I believe under the Modi wave, there is also a misinformation wave,” he said.
When asked about the ‘Road Challenge’ initiative, Rai said, "I am not prepared to listen to people abuse the state of roads in our district. The roads are in a pitiful condition filled with potholes that have caused accidents and thereby claimed several lives. Further, I am not sure if the toll gate at BC road is a toll gate or a gambling den."
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