From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Nov 11: The opposition JD(S), which is quite predominant in the Old Mysore region, has lambasted the ruling BJP for not inviting its party supremo H D Deve Gowda, first and only Kannadiga to become Prime Minister, to the unveiling of the statue of Bengaluru founder Kempe Gowda by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and termed it as an insult to all Kannadigas.

Taking to social media, the JD(S) floor leader in the Assembly and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday, demanded to know why the BJP government had not invited Gowda to the unveiling of the Kempe Gowda statue in the vicinity of the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which is named after the Bengaluru founder, and also the other programmes of Modi in Bengaluru.

“We would not have bothered or questioned if it was some local level programme. But when the Prime Minister comes to unveil the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, the former Prime Minister should have been invited as he is the pride of Karnataka,’’ Kumaraswamy said.

In another tweet, the JD(S) leader accused the ruling BJP and the Basavaraj Bommai government for neglecting Deve Gowda. ``We cannot tolerate the BJP and government’s actions in treating the entire event as the ruling BJP programme. This is an insult to all Kannadigas and Kempe Gowda, which can never be tolerated,’’ he said.

“Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda was an ideal person who treated all people as equal. But BJP has tried to use him for its political gains. It is obvious that the BJP has done this keeping in mind the next year’s assembly polls,’’ he said.

The former Chief Minister has in another tweet, said: “The Bommai regime and the State BJP leaders have deliberately misinformed the Prime Minister, who holds Deve Gowda in high esteem. By doing this, the BJP and the State Gowda have attempted to bring disrepute to Modi.’’

“Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda is not the property of only a few ministers and cannot be dragged into politics. Kempe Gowda is loved, respected and revered by all Kanndigas. Bengaluru city belongs to all people. It is the lifeline of all Kannadigas. But the BJP government has forgotten this simple truth,’’ the JD(S) leader said.

Kumaraswamy has also extended his greetings to the people on the Kanakadasa Jayanti and said he wanted the welfare of entire mankind.