Karnataka - Bangalore

Don’t meddle in politics, Kharge tells religious heads

M. Mallikarjun Kharge

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed concern over some of the religious heads publicly echoing the line of argument of the Bharatiya Janata Party with respect to the attacks on churches an Christian prayer halls.

“I appeal to these seers to desist from interfering in politics,” Mr. Kharge told presspersons in Bangalore.

“The religious heads without mentioning the name of the BJP have defended its line of argument,” Mr. Kharge noted.

Heads of seven maths in Udupi and Shimoga districts on Tuesday echoed the BJP’s argument that religious conversion was the “base for communal tension.” They had also met the Governor and submitted a memorandum to him stating that the recent attacks on churches and Christian prayer halls in parts of the State “are just minor skirmishes.”

Referring to this, Mr. Kharge alleged that the BJP was trying to use religious heads for political purposes. Observing that it was not proper to rope in religious personalities in political issues, he said people will give a befitting reply to the BJP for using seers in political matters.

Mr. Kharge alleged that Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa was more concerned about the ensuing bypolls to seven Assembly constituencies in the State rather than the attacks on churches.

He defended the two advisories sent to the State Government by the Centre on maintaining law and order.

Earlier, addressing a Sadbhavana rally, which was taken out by the Congress workers from Byatarayanapura, Sarvajnanagar and Pulikeshinagar in the city till the party office to stress the need for communal harmony, Mr. Kharge criticised the BJP for its failure to prevent attacks on churches.

President of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Krishna Byre Gowda said the padayatra from the Mariyannanapalya church to the Congress headquarters and from thereon to the Raj Bhavan was organised to highlight the failure of the BJP Government to control communal incidents.

Addressing the rally, Mr. Gowda said Karnataka had always been a place of peace loving people.

Ever since the BJP came to power in the State , there had been attempts to desecrate mosques, Ganesha Chathurthi celebrations, and during the last 20 days, a series of attacks on Churches, he alleged. From serial bombings to these attacks on religious places, the government’s failures are clearly visible, he said.

The Sadbhavana Padayatra, he said, was a novel effort to spread the message of communal harmony and the oneness of Indians. Hindus, Christians, Muslims and others came together to participate in the padayatra as a show of solidarity.

The padayatra that started from the church at Mariyannanapalya, went through Kempapura, Hebbal, Ganganagara, Mehkri circle, BDA Junction, Vasanth Nagar to reach the KPCC Office.

Mr. Gowda and some of the youth Congress leaders were arrested when they attempted to march to the Raj Bhavan.

They, however, later met the Governor and submitted a memorandum.

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