No BJP leader died of terrorism, says CM Siddaramaiah

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday pointed out that although BJP claims Congress supports terrorism, no saffron party leader had ever died in terrorist acts. The Congress bigwig said that the party had unfairly been labeled as being soft on terror.

He insisted that the Grand Old Party had paid a heavy price for fighting terrorism, referring to the assassinations of former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and her mother Indira Gandhi. He made the comments during an event commemorating the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, which was organised by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

“BJP claims that Congress, which has contributed to the strengthening of democracy, supported terrorism. However, no BJP leader has ever lost their life to terrorism. Congress leaders fought and strived to end terrorism in the country. Terrorism is a threat to the country,” Siddaramaiah said. “Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi were sacrificed at the altar of terrorism. Congress has always been at the forefront of upholding the unity and sovereignty of the country,” he added.

Siddaramaiah kept up his attack on the BJP a day after being sworn in as CM, claiming that there can be no peace as long as the saffron party and the larger Sangh Parivar existed. He said that Congress leaders were committed to noted Kannada poet Kuvempu’s goal of making Karnataka into “a garden of peace for all communities.”