Mangaluru: Veteran congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary on Sunday felt that U.T Khader is only after ‘votes and power’ and the Congress party and its principles were less important to him.

Mr. Poojary was responding to a question in a press meet on Mr. Khader’ open praises to Hemanath Shetty, who floated a pro-Hindu organization called ‘Bharatiya Hindu Parishat’. The Health Minister had said that forming a religious organization is a right of the individual, unless it’s communal.

Interestingly, Mr. Poojary had supported Mr. Khader when in the past speaker Kagodu Thimmappa took the health department to task for producing wrong information during the sessions,

On Sunday, Mr. Poojary felt that only secular ideology can take the nation forward. This is the ideology of the party. Hence, he felt that not many of those who join the party or even some party leaders do not read the party constitution. He also asked prime minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party to heed the words of U.S President Barack Obama, who advised India on secularism.