Bengaluru, Sep 27 (UNI) JDS patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday alleged that the Congress tried to destroy secular forces in the country. He also alleged the role of some big Congress leaders to remove the JDS-Congress coalition government in 2019.
Gowda made these allegations when he was asked to comment on Congress allegations that JDS has joined hands with the ‘communal’ BJP and dubbed his party as its B-Team.
“I will list out hundreds of instances where the Congress, just to help one family gain political control, fooled the people. Congress made attempts to destroy the JDS,” Gowda told reporters here.
“In fact, the Congress has tried to destroy secular forces in different states,” he said.
Gowda further said that nobody can deny that almost all political parties had ties with the BJP. Even the Left-wing leaders had tied up with the BJP in West Bengal to defeat Mamata Banerjee.
“Who defeated our Rajya Sabha candidate BM Farooq? They are big (Congress) leaders and I will not mention their names. Why was Farooq Abdulla forced to join hands with the BJP (in Jammu and Kashmir)? Who removed Farooq Abdulla’s government? Was it the BJP or the Congress? Congress has committed blunder after blunder and they talk of secular democracy,” he said.
Gowda said he forged an alliance with the BJP to save JDS, the reins of which was given to him by former PM Morarji Desai, but not with an intention of greed.
The decision on alliance was taken after holding talks with 19 MLAs and 8 MLCs of the JDS, he said.
On Muslim leaders in the JDS quitting the party for the party joining hands with the BJP, Gowda said the minorities will not let down as both the parties did when HD Kumaraswamy was the chief minister in BJP-JDS government.
“Two Muslim leaders were killed in coastal Karnataka when Kumaraswamy formed the coalition with Yediyurappa in 2006. The assailants were arrested and were sentenced to life imprisonment,” he said.
“For remembrance, Kumaraswamy was the CM and the home minister belonged to the BJP, and yet the minorities were not let down. They will never feel let down by us,” he added.
Replying to a query, Gowda said no seat-sharing formula has been discussed between the JDS and the BJP. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked him not to decide anything in a hurry.
“No discussion on seat-sharing has taken place. I have not spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet. The home minister (Amit Shah) has studied the political situation in Karnataka. I have spoken to him on the phone. He asked me not to decide anything in a hurry and suggested that our parliamentary board meet and clear any confusion,” he said.
