The Hindu
Udupi, Mar 26: Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S. Suresh Kumar said on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party would seek an explanation from its candidate for the Uttara Kannada parliamentary seat and three-time MP Anant Kumar Hegde for his reported remarks challenging the Election Commission, at a party workers’ meeting in Karwar on March 23.
A report was carried in an English daily about Mr. Hegde saying that he would prevent a minority community from taking out processions in Uttara Kannada district. He is reported to have said that he had 63 criminal cases against him and he was not afraid of one more being slapped on him. Mr. Hegde is also reported to having that he did not need a single minority vote to win the elections.
In response to a question from presspersons here, Mr. Suresh Kumar said the BJP wanted the votes of all Indians. All candidates should conduct themselves within the confines of the law. “We will speak to Mr. Hegde and seek an explanation on the statements attributed to him. After hearing his side, the BJP leadership will take a decision,” he said.
Hegde unfazed
The anti-minority utterances of Hegde have been termed as a mere rhetoric to divert the attention of the voters, according to political leaders here. Many parties, including the Congress, the main rival of the BJP in the constituency, have chosen to ignore the remarks of Hegde.
Soon after the communal incidents at Mundgod during “Holi”, Hegde held a press meet there and threatened to prevent the Id-Milad and Moharram processions in Uttara Kannada district if the “Muslims continue to attack Hindu religious processions”. He criticised the police for their alleged partisan attitude and demanded the transfer of some of the police officers.
The Mundgod tahsildar sent a report to the Deputy Commissioner Uttara Kannada about the episode. The Deputy Commissioner brought it to the notice of EC.
Unmindful of this, Hegde again held a party workers’ meeting at Karwar on Monday and threatened the Muslim community, even challenging the EC to file criminal cases against him.
All this happened in presence of Fisheries Minister Anand Asnotikar and district BJP president Vinod Prabhu. Hegde, who held another meeting of party workers at Ankola, repeated the remarks.
Shambhu Shetty, district president of Indian National Trade Union Congress said it was a well calculated strategy on the part of the BJP to divert the attention of the voters from the development issues. Once the Congress joined issue with them, the BJP would unleash its communal propaganda which would polarise the voters on communal lines.
The Congress had decided to highlight the “failure” of Hegde on all fronts. “Our actions will not be guided by their agenda. If we react to them, then the Congress would be branded as an anti-Hindu party,” Shetty said.