Blaming others is to shift onus from Siddaramaiah: BJP

Hitting back at the Congress for attempting to lay the blame on it for the killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh, the BJP on Thursday said it was an effort to give a clean cheat to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

BJP General Secretary P. Murlidhar Rao also described Rahul Gandhi as an irresponsible leader for blaming the BJP on the issue.

"The onus is on Siddaramaiah to ensure proper investigation. Law and order in the state is in his hands. He (Rahul Gandhi), like a hypocritical man, accused the BJP and held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible. This is the politics of Congress and the BJP is against such politics," he said.

Rao said that blaming the BJP and holding its leaders responsible for the killing of Lankesh is laughable and an effort to shift the onus from the Chief Minister.

"We have seen if there is any irresponsible leader in this world, he is Rahul Gandhi. There is a party which is in the hands of any irresponsible leader, it is in the hands of Rahul Gandhi," Rao told India Today.

Rao's remarks came in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's accusation that silencing dissent was part of the BJP's ideology.

"Anyone who speaks against BJP is silenced. People say that the Prime Minister is quiet and he has not said anything. The point is the entire ideology is to silence voices," Gandhi said on Wednesday.

Rao said that under the Congress regime killings have increased in Karnataka and the state government has failed to protect its people. This was the reason the family members of Lankesh were seeking a CBI probe into her killing.

"The law does not differentiate on the basis of ideology. It is equal for everybody. Human rights are equal for everybody. Killings have increased in Karnataka and Siddaramaiah government has failed to take strict action. That's why the family members have no faith in Karnataka Home Minister and state government," Rao said.

--IANS

bns/vsc/bg