Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 21: Former Karnataka chief minister, M Veerappa Moily, speaking to media persons during his visit to Yermal Thenka on Tuesday March 21, stressed that Congress high command will decide the allotment of ticket relating to Karkala assembly seat. He was responding to some scribes who drew his attention to the general notion that as far as Karkala is concerned, Moily happens to be the high command. He reiterated that there is only one high command, which is of the party and that there are no multiple high commands.

In the meanwhile, he praised Rahul Gandhi for carrying ahead truthful and secular principles followed by his illustrious family which has been serving the country since long. He said that Rahul has been trying to cement a relationship of love and respect between people at a time when people are trying to wedge a divide between classes.

About the controversial tweet in his twitter account, Moily said that the account was hacked and that he had provided enough evidence of the same to the party. He said that it is an internal party matter and there is no question of serving notice. He added that his party has drawn up strategies to attract voters away from BJP.

On the Lingayat controversy, Moily said that politics has nothing do with religion and that the issue about secularism has been on since the 13th century after Basavanna preached secular principles and brought together all classes of people. He said that Basavanna had worked to remove strictures imposed by Vedas, Upanishads etc and even facilitated people from lower strata of the society to live without any fear or favour. Moily stated that by giving Lingayats separate religious status, the government has honoured Basavanna's feelings. He felt that just because Lingayat has been proposed to be considered as a separate religion, it does not in any way belittle Veerashaiva sect.

When questioned why Rahul has not planned to visit Sri Krishna Math, he said that there was no programme to visit Udupi and hence the visit was not included in the itinerary. He said that his party upholds all religions and belief systems and that Siddaramaiah had no role to play in the decision of Rahul not to visit Krishna Math. He explained that when Rahul visits Udupi in future, he will visit the Math.

About MP, Shobha Karandlaje's claim that senior leaders like Moily have been sidelined by Congress party, he reminded that he had won six times from Karkala constituency and not lost a single election so far. He added that he was also given opportunity to work in various other capacities. He said that people from all castes and creeds live together in Karkala constituency and that even Lingayats and Vokkaligas have been supporting his party. He felt that BJP has lost touch with history and advised it to refresh its knowledge.