Former Karnataka Deputy CM Eshwarappa courts controversy, says BJP will not give tickets to Muslims

Bengaluru: Senior Karnataka BJP leader and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa has said his party will not give tickets to Muslims to contest the elections as they do not believe in the party.

"We will not give...We will not give ticket to Muslims in Karnataka. Why? (because) you do not believe in us. If you believe and vote us, if you understand us, we will see," Eshwarappa said on Monday at Koppal.

He also alleged that the Congress party has only used Muslims as a "vote bank."

However, the senior leader from the Kuruba community Tuesday clarified that he was not hater of any community including Muslims and his statement was in response to a specific question about Iqbal Ansari, a political leader fromthe district, getting ticket from the BJP.

"Correction:I'm not the hater of any community including Muslims. My statement was about a question asked will Iqbal Ansari get ticket from BJP?

Whenever a new person joins he is not given any post,he has to work hard and earn the post, similarly I had mentioned about Iqbal Ansari," Eshwarappa tweeted, reacting to a media report on his statement.

"Dear Media, Please don't add communal Colors to my statements.

Correction: I am not the hater of any community including Muslims.

My statement was about a question asked about will Iqbal Ansari get ticket from BJP? Please don't try to twist my statement about an individual," he said in another tweet.

Karnataka will go to Lok Sabha polls in two phases, 14 constituencies each, on April 18 and 23.