Bantwal: Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani on April 28 announced that the assembly elections would be a stepping stone for the next year’s Lok Sabha elections. He said, “By wiping out the communal party in assembly elections, we should get ready for the Lok Sabha elections.”

Mevani was speaking at “Swabhimaani Samavesha” organised by the Karnataka Forum to save the constitution in B C Road here.

Taking a dig at BJP and RSS, Mevani said, “How many RSS activists have sacrificed their life for the Indian Independence? Those who speak of changing the constitution are anti-nationals. All the major political parties in India have a secular ideology except for the BJP.”

He also termed the BJP as “Balathkari Janwar Party” and said “We don’t want corporates to rule us but we want a government that is secular.”

“Narendra Modi avoids visiting Karnataka as much as possible. Even though I have been campaigning in Karnataka for ‘Save the Constitution’ movement, Modi has not visited the state out of fear. Let him come to Karnataka for a one-on-one debate on Karnataka’s development”, he challenged the prime minister.

Speaking at the same venue, actor Prakash Raj said, “BJP has no ideology of its own nor its own mind. BJP is implementing the RSS ideology. BJP will not form a government in the state. In Mangaluru, BJP candidate’s wife is seeking vote on the basis of religion. It is wrong to do politics in the name of Hindu religion.”

He also urged the people to reject BJP. Taking a dig at the prime minister, Prakash Raj said that Modi would be jobless after 2019 elections.