From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Chief D K Shivakumar on Sunday, February 13 demanded sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwaraappa for speaking about hoisting saffron flag at the Red Fort.

“How can a cabinet minister and senior leader of BJP speak about a time of hoisting saffron flag at the Red Fort,’’ Shivakumar asked and wondered if the minister does not know that Red Fort is meant for hoisting only the national tricolour.

Speaking to media persons at Gadag on Sunday, the State Congress President said it was shameful that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai or Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot have not asked Eshwarappa to step down.

“Any person speaking such things when Congress is in power would have been asked to quit within 10 minutes,” Shivakumar said pointing out that under the BJP rule Constitution and National Flag were being undermined.

“Our leader Rahul Gandhi and I have always held that national tricolour is our religion. The Constitution is our sacred Bhagwad Gita, Quran and Bible,’’ he said.

Shivakumar alleged that the policemen were not functioning as government servants or officers but as BJP workers. This cannot go on, he said and announced that the party would make a note of all officers who are acting as agents of the ruling party and will deal with them at the appropriate time. “Let them remember that nothing is permanent,” he asserted.

The KPCC Chief accused the State Government of encouraging the saffron shawl and hijab row to escalate. The State Government could have handled and controlled the situation in the beginning itself instead of allowing it to become such a ticklish issue.

Shivakumar alleged that some of the girls who joined the protests by ABVP on the hijab row had earlier participated in the agitation organised by CFI. How these girls became part of ABVP protest? It is common knowledge that ABVP is a BJP organisation. “What is the government doing,” he asked.

The KPCC chief, who is visiting Gadag district for the first time after becoming the State party president, was felicitated by the District Congress leaders and party workers. Former minister H K Patil, KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed, DCC President G S Patil, former ministers P T Parameshwar Nayak, B R Yavagal and senior party leaders D R Patil, Nanjayyana Math, Ramakrishna Doddamani, Raghunandan Ramanna and others were present.