Veer Savarkar row: Siddaramaiah hits out at BJP over ‘temple run’ remark, says ‘NOT SCARED of anyone’

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah's car was recently attacked with eggs in Madikeri. BJP and the Congress are at loggerheads over the burning of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's photograph in some parts of Karnataka by the followers of Tipu Sultan.

BENGALURU: Amid a bitter political row over Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has hit out at BJP leaders for alleging that he has been visiting temples since he is scared these days. “I'm not scared of anybody. We believe in Constitution and live by it. I'm scared of people as we come to power with their blessings. BJP only finds a stone in curd,” LoP Siddaramaiah said while reacting to Union Minister Prahlad Joshi’s jibe that he is scared and hence doing temple runs.

The veteran Karnataka Congress leader said, “I had lunch in the guest house and went to Basaveshwara temple in the evening. What is wrong with consuming non-vegetarian food and going to the temple? Who are you to question about my food habits?”

Karnataka | I'm not scared of anybody. We believe in constitution & live by it. I'm scared of people as we come to power with their blessings. BJP only finds stone in curd: LoP Siddaramaiah on Union min Prahlad Joshi allegation that Siddaramaiah is scared&so doing temple runs pic.twitter.com/WmjN4YIUqH

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2022

Siddaramaiah made these remarks while speaking to reporters after partaking in the mass marriage that was organized as part of the 131st birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.

“BJP always finds speck in others’ eyes and spoils peace. The person who threw eggs on my car in Madikeri is not a Congress worker. He is forced to say like that by the BJP,” Siddaramaiah added.

“Now BJP is opposing Tipu Sultan. Earlier, these very BJP leaders had donned the looks of Tipu. Was it a drama? Yediyurappa himself has written the foreword to a book written by a vice chancellor on Tipu Sultan. Where were union minister Prahlad Joshi and former speaker K G Bopaiah then?"

“There is no question of me fearing anyone. We believe in our constitution. We behave according to our constitution. I fear only people and respect them too. We, who assume power with the blessings of the public, will listen to only them and not others,” the former Karnataka CM said.

It may be recalled that the ruling BJP and the Congress are at loggerheads over the burning of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's photograph in some parts of Karnataka by the followers of Tipu Sultan.