Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Jul 8: AICC general secretary and Congress in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal and KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara on Saturday July 8 visited Sri Krishna Math to seek divine blessings and met Paryaya Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji.

Speaking to reporters thereafter, K C Venugopal commented on the possibility of cabinet expasion and said that it would be decided by the chief minister.

On how Congress was gearing up for the 2018 Assembly elections, Venugopal said, "We have conducted meetings in Udupi, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada. We are strengthening our party from booth level to state level. If reshuffling is required, we will do that too."

Asked whether Congress has decided on the candidates, he said, "Candidate fixation has not been decided yet, but I can assure that there will be new faces. We will go for those who are waiting for a chance in the party.

"The next election will be fought on the issue of development alone. The Congress government led by Siddaramaiah has done a lot of things over the past four years," he added.

On the law and order situation in Karnataka, he said, "Law and order situation is good, but some people are trying to create communal disturbances to polarise the voters. It happens every time an election approaches."

Asked his opinion on the recent Iftar Souharda Koota hosted by Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji at Sri Krishna Math, he said, "Pejawar Swamiji has given a good message by hosting Iftar get-together. PM Modi has never done it in the three years of his regime. Former NDA Prime Minister A B Vajapayee had hosted Iftar get-together during his tenure, but not Modi. India is a secular republic and such get-togethers should be held to foster harmony and goodwill. By not doing so, Modi has given a clear message that he is a partisan. When a person becomes PM, there is a need for some diplomacy, but Modi himself is not giving any signs of it."

Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said, "This visit to Sri Krishna Math is not for any political gain but to seek blessings. We did not discuss issues like the recent Iftar Koota at the Math. The Swamiji's intention in organising the Iftar Koota was to foster harmony and peace. We welcome and support it.

To a question on whether the recent clashes in Kalladka were due to failure of the police in maintaining law and order, he said, "Nothing like that. In the coastal region and especially in and around Mangaluru, BJP leaders are trying to provoke communal unrest. It is not right to indulge in communalism for political gains and vote bank."

Taking potshots at BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa over his visits to houses of Dalits in the state, he said, "It is nothing but a political drama. He is doing it to lure people. I urge people not to fall for it. When he was the chief minister, he did not care for Dalits or their problems, and now he's using them to them to do politics."

District in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj, Kaup MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake and others were present.