Daijiworld Media Network
Hubli, Mar 25: Two days after he was welcomed into BJP only to be removed by the party high command within hours, Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik announced that he would be contesting the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday March 25, Muthalik said that he would be contesting against the BJP and filing his nomination from Dharwad constituency on Wednesday March 26 at 1 pm.
Another candidate, Ramakanth, will contest from Belgaum, Muthalik said.
He said he was confident of winning with Hindu votes, and promised to raise issues related to Hindutva in the parliament if he is elected as the MP.
Launching a tirade against the BJP for having rejected him, he said he had given a deadline until 11 am on Tuesday, but no one responded. Hence, he decided to contest against the BJP on his own.
He alleged that BJP leader Ananth Kumar was responsible for stalling his entry into the party and said that he would campaign against him. He also accused BJP state president Prahlad Joshi of being in 'Ananth Kumar's company'.
He also criticized BJP national president Rajnath Singh and said, "Did Rajnath Singh taken any action against the BJP ministers who were caught watching porn in the Assembly? He should give an answer to this."
He further said that he had to face humiliation as everyone was questioning him and asking what 'deal' he had made with the BJP. "I am not bothered about money. If I wanted money, I would have gone to Goa - not to Goan beaches but to stay at Hindu ashram. It is because I don't care for money that I am contesting the election," he said.
"There is no question of going back to the BJP. People are saying all kinds of things about me, but I will answer them all by winning this election," he added.
In rather a sudden move on Sunday, the state BJP inducted Muthalik into the party, but hours later, following backlash from Congress and other parties and more importantly, criticism from party's senior leaders including Sushma Swaraj and Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, Muthalik's membership was cancelled. Visibly angry at the decision, Muthalik charged the Congress of hatching a 'conspiracy' and later accused the media, particularly Times Now channel of 'spoiling his image' by repeatedly raking up the infamous Mangalore pub attack of 2009. Muthalik faces around 45 cases, mostly of moral policiing and hate speeches.