Daijiworld Media Network – Kaup (JD)

Kaup, Dec 23: "Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) should be working for the integration of Maharashtra and not Karnataka. It should be in Maharashtra and not in Karnataka," said Shobha Karandlaje, minister of state agriculture and farmer's welfare.

Addressing a press conference here, she said "Belagavi is not a problematic issue. Belagavi has been an integral part of Karnataka. I had said earlier too that all the political parties in Karnataka should come together and defeat every candidate of MES in Belagavi. Kannadigas are in various states of India and they are living peacefully in those states. But few Marathi speaking are living in Karnataka physically, but their mind is in Maharashtra. All people living here are getting facilities of Karnataka. The act committed by MES is an act of treason. They will be given apt punishment.”

On Congress opposition to anti-conversion law, she said, “Why is the Congress opposing the anti-conversion bill? Anti-conversion law is a wish of the people of this nation. The Congress just concentrates on its vote bank of minorities. There have been instances where poor people were converted by followers of few a religion by luring and love jihad. In Mangaluru, a family of was lost due to forced conversion. To maintain the peace of society, this law is important. I want to ask D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah whether they do not want the votes of the majority community or they are happy with vote bank of minorities. People of Karnataka are noticing all these statements and acts of the Congress. Shivakumar has claimed that they will remove the anti-conversion law if they come to power in 2023. They should first see whether the people of Karnataka will vote them to power or not.”