Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Apr 7: MLC and parliamentary secretary to the chief minister, Ivan D'Souza, expressed his dissent at the remark made by Prime Minister Modi that Rahul Gandhi has decided to fight the election from Wayanad because this constituency has high percentage of minority votes. He wondered whether the votes of minorities are less valuable.

Addressing a press meet in the city on Saturday April 6 at the district Congress office here, he felt that people are being divided on the lines of religion and caste in the country. He insisted that there is a need to stop BJP from rising to power at any cost, duly warning that if BJP comes to power, the country will face peril.

"If the BJP had met the promises it made during the previous Lok Sabha election, there should be a debate on this issue. People in BJP should tell the general public about the development works they have executed. They should bring out a white paper on the promises they have met, and seek votes on the basis of their performance," he challenged.

Ivan insisted that the people of the state have accepted the coalition government in the state. He cited victory of Congress and JD(S) candidates in the recent bypolls to prove this point.

Ivan said that during the rule of the then chief minister, Siddaramaiah, the state government had provided grant of Rs 2,850 crore for the development of minorities. "The coalition government has formed Minorities Development Corporation Ltd and set aside Rs 200 crore in the budget. This is a gift the state government has made to the minorities. Karnataka can play a stellar role at the national level if it helps Rahul Gandhi to become Prime Minister by ensuring the victory of coalition candidates in over 22 Lok Sabha seats in the state," he asserted.

District Congress committee president, Ashok Kumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member, M A Gafoor, Bhaskar Rao, Ghulam Muhammed, Ismail Atrady, and Naveenchandra Shetty were present at the press meet.