Mangaluru: On the allegations by Yeddyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda and Shobha Karandlaje that Congress government was responsible for untoward incidents reported during the funeral procession of RSS activist Sharath, slamming the trio, District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai said few BJP leaders were unnecessarily accusing Congress for the stone pelting incident. He clarified that Congress had no role in it and it was by the communal forces.
“Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and Shobha karandlaje should be subjected to Enforcement Directorate investigation for possessing Benami lands in various places across Karnataka. Without any knowledge about the district Shobha Karandlaje is accusing Congress. When the there was Section 144 in the area who broke the law by holding protest? Congress never created communal discord in the society. Congress always expects peace in the society. Communal violence erupted in the district after repeated provocative communal speeches in the district”, he said.
He also dared Shobha karandlaje and DVS to contest elections against him and U T Khader and win.
He also said that since few could not tolerate the developmental activities by the Congress they were trying to create hurdles. “Congress has no role in the stone pelting activities during procession. It was by communal organisations belonging to both majority and minority community.When Sharath was in hospital battling for life, Prabhakar Bhat in the name of protest was celebrating the victory”, Rai ridiculed.
He also alleged that funeral procession was carried out to gain political mileage and not out of pain. He also disclosed that the government had decided to provide compensation to the family members of both Ashraf and Sharath.
“Why there were no protests when Vinayaka Baliga, Harish Poojary and Praveen Poojary’s murders? Calculating the political mileage they have held this protest in Sharath’s case”, he alleged.
Minister UT Khader said, “The violence is created by 2 percent of the people. When Sharath was stabbed, Rauf a fruit seller took him to the hospital and when Riyaz was stabbed near Kaikamba Gurupura, Prakash had shifted him to hospital. This is the harmony that we have in the district. Hence Congress will honour Rauf and Prakash for their work preserving communal harmony in the district.”
