MLC H Vishwnath advises BJP leaders to shun groupism

NT Correspondent

Mysuru

Taking strong objection to the internal bickering among state BJP leaders, party MLC H Vishwanath on Sunday said that people will not tolerate such developments. Speaking to reporters, he wanted BJP leaders including Union ministers from the state and all elected members of parliament to focus on development of the state and to ensure funds from the Centre instead of paying attention to groupism and factionalism in the party. According to him, except for Union minister of Railways V Somanna, the other ministers like Pralhad Joshi and Shobha Karandalje have restricted their visits to the state. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a slew of development works, BJP leaders are not giving much publicity to them, he felt.

Wakf properties have been encroached by influential Muslims in the state, he said while condemning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not initiating measures to clear such encroachments and protect wakf properties. As the union government is also bringing an amendment to the Wakf Act, the BJP must sensitize people about the importance of bringing such a law. The party should think beyond Hindutva politics to improve its image in the nation, he stressed. Vishwanath also criticised the state government for filing an FIR against Vishwa Vokkaligara Samsthan Mutt pontiff Chandrashekharanatha Swamiji. As the seer had already apologized for making a statement on denying voting rights to Muslims, he wanted the government to withdraw the FIR filed against the seer, considering his age and respecting the 'guru parampara' in the state, he said. He also wanted MUDA chairman G Lakshmikanth Reddy who is also deputy commissioner of Mysuru to file a written complaint with the police about the missing 148 files related to the MUDA land allotment scam, He asked MUDA why it has not filed a complaint against state urban development minister Byrathi Suresh for allegedly taking away important files from MUDA.

Continuing his attack on CM Siddaramaiah, Vishwanath referred to the holding of the Hasssan Swabhimani convention on December 5 and claimed the CM had done nothing for the welfare of AHINDA classes including the Kuruba community he belongs to.