At Siddaramaiah's birthday bash, Rahul Gandhi says BJP harmful for Karnataka

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attended the birthday celebrations of Karnataka former chief minister Siddaramaiah at Devangere in Karnataka. Stating that the Karnataka congress is completely united, Gandhi said he shares a special bond with Siddaramaiah.

“I don't usually attend birthday celebrations. I've come here because I share a special bond with Siddaramaiah. Not only do I like him as a person, but I also share his views. I share his compassion for the poor and the weak. I also appreciate how he ran the government of Karnataka when he was CM and he gave direction to the people of Karnataka. He had a vision for. It was premised on the idea of fairness for all. That's completely different from what we see today in the BJP government,” he said.

He said the current BJP government is harmful to the harmony of Karnataka. “While the Congress government united the people and created harmony in the state, the BJP is dividing people and spreading hatred in this beautiful state. People from the United States say that Karnataka has never faced the violence it is facing today. They also say that the state was in complete harmony when Congress was in power in Karnataka. They also say that harmony and peace are very important to do business in the state. This is only possible if the Congress government in Karnataka comes back to power,” he added.

Stating that the BJP is colonising the state, Gandhi said, “We believe in the culture, the language, and the tradition of Karnataka. All these are fundamentals for the future of India. The BJP only wants to colonize Karnataka with one idea.”

Later, Gandhi visited Chitradurga's Murugarajendra mutt and took the blessings of Dr. Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru.

Karnataka BJP unit called Gandhi a ‘seasoned Hindu’ who visits mutts only ahead of elections.