From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Chikkanayakanahalli (Tumkuru), Dec 28: JD(S) legislature party leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy denounced Higher Education and Ramanagara district in-charge minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan for mooting the proposal for building a Ram Mandir at the Ramadevarabetta in Ramanagara district, hardly three months before the State Assembly polls.

Addressing the Pancharatna Rath Yatra at Chikkanayanakanahalli in Tumkuru district on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy lashed out at Dr Narayan for making the proposal for building Ram Mandir at Ramadevarabetta in Ramanagara district as the South’s temple for Lord Ram on the lines of the Ram Mandir under construction at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The former Chief Minister vehemently opposed the Higher Education Minister’s proposal of inviting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for laying the foundation stone for the proposed construction of Ram Mandir at Ramadevarabetta.

It may be recalled that JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had once been elected as MLA from Ramanagara and in the last assembly polls Kumaraswamy had contested from both Ramanagara and Channapatna assembly constituencies. After winning both constituencies, Kumaraswamy had resigned the Ramanagara seat and JD(S) had fielded his wife Anita Kumaraswamy in the by-election, which she had won. Anita Kumaraswamy had recently announced that her son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who had unsuccessfully contested in the Mandya lok sabha constituency, would be entering the fray from the Ramanagara constituency and that she would not be contesting in the next elections.

Indicating that the Vokkaliga predominant Ramanagara district is the JD(S) stronghold, Kumaraswamy said why the BJP did not talk and construct the Ram Mandir if it was so interested during the last three years of its rule in the State.

"A party which did not do anything in the last three years is talking about building Ram Mandir three months before the assembly polls," he said attacking the ruling BJP and asking whether it can do in 3 months what it could not in the last 3 years.

The former chief minister opposed Dr Narayan’s proposal to invite Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for laying the foundation stone for the proposed construction of Ram Mandir at Ramadevarabetta and said Karnataka is not short of persons to do the task.

"If the people of Ramanagara really want a Ram Mandir at Ramadevarabetta, I will do it myself under the leadership of our own Adichunchanagiri Math Seer and we will invite our own Suttur Mutt Seer to lay the foundation. We don’t need outsiders to come and do it," he said.

Making it clear that "Ramanagara is my constituency and we don’t want outsiders to come and do any favours," Kumaraswamy said BJP’s games will not work in Ramanagara. "My relationship with Ramanagara is that of mother and child. We will not allow outsiders to come and do anything here."

Kumaraswamy said the BJP is on the way out and people have decided to pack it off.

“I am not opposing construction of Ram Mandir at Ramadevarabetta but strongly object to outsiders meddling in Ramanagara. If people want a Ram Mandir, I will do it. God has given me sufficient strength,” he said warning that BJP is on its way out in the State.