BJP chief Nadda attacks Cong govt, party on 'pro-Pak slogan' issue

Targeting the Congress government in Karnataka and its leadership over the 'pro-Pakistan slogan' issue, BJP national President J P Nadda on Tuesday questioned whether they were running the party to speak Pakistan's language and if they were representatives of the neighbouring country in India.

Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain's supporters allegedly raised "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, while celebrating his victory in the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27 at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat.

A purported video of the incident was telecast by TV news channels and it also had gone viral on social media. Police on Monday arrested three persons in connection with the incident, following the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirming that the slogans were indeed chanted.

"The Assembly assembly poll results have not come in our favour, but you might have realised by now and also the people of Karnataka that the government they have elected is cheating them and has mislead them, and have plundered their interest for their own self interest," Nadda said

Addressing booth level party workers meeting here, he alleged: "if anything is available free in Karnataka it is terrorism; terrorists are getting encouragement and patronage."

"What a situation has come. Pakistan zindabad slogans are raised in Vidhana Soudha, and Congress' Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and Deputy Chief Minister (D K Shivakumar) are mute spectators. Isn't it from this very Karnataka that the Indian National Congress' President Mallikarjun Kharge comes from? The MP is someone who sits next to him (Kharge), on whose victory (in Rajya Sabha polls) Pakistan zindabad slogans are raised," he said.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Yatra", Nadda asked, "is this the way you are uniting India? Your MP wins an election and on his victory Pakistan Zindabad slogans are raised."

"Whom are you representing? Kharge ji why are you silent? The nation wants to know, the people of Karnataka are asking," he said while questioning the "silence" of Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

He further asked, "Are you born to help Pakistan? Are you running the party to speak Pakistan's language? Are you representatives of Pakistan in India? I want to know, I want answers for this."

BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Chikkodi MP Annasaheb Jolle, and MLA from Nippani Shashikala Jolle, were among others present.