Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges BJP to stop "playing petty politics on religion", calls for responsible opposition

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 3 : On a day that the BJP staged a massive protest against the arrest of a Kar Sevak for his alleged role in Post Babri demplition violence, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to BJP leaders in the state to stop playing petty politics in the "name of God and religion", urging them to act responsibly as an opposition amid protests by the party over Hubballi arrest.
He asserted that the sudden panic within the BJP stems from positive public responses to the current government's achievements.
The Chief Minister criticised the BJP's attempt to capitalize on the arrest of a criminal suspect in Hubballi, cautioning against the dangerous practice of assigning caste and religious labels to criminals.
"I am still appealing to the BJP leaders in the state. Stop playing petty politics in the name of God and religion, and try to act as a responsible opposition," he said in a post on X.
He further urged them to assess the charges against the Hubballi suspect before deciding to defend him.
"It should not have come to a point where a national party has to defend a criminal suspect. If any BJP leaders have a little wisdom, they should please read out the list of charges against this person from Hubballi and then decide whether to fight for him. Since Hindus are the majority in the population, they are also the majority in prisons. Does that mean BJP should fight for all of them because they belong to the Hindu religion?" CM Siddaramaiah.
Criticizing the BJP's tendency to colour crime based on caste and religion, he accuses them of increasing criminal activities in the state through illegal actions.
"The increase in criminal activities in the state is due to the BJP's illegal actions and their tendency to colour crime and criminals with caste and religion. Even if a person commits heinous crimes, if he wraps a saffron shawl around his head and shouts that he is a Hindu, BJP leaders rush to his defence," he said.
"This is not only a disgrace to the saffron shawl but also to Hinduism itself. It's a betrayal of religion. Let the law take its course," he added.
He further expressed a long-term goal of permanently relegating the BJP to the opposition position. The Chief Minister suggested that recent mishaps among state BJP leaders may inadvertently contribute to achieving this goal.
CM Siddaramaiah criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing them of four years of misrule and corruption scandals.
"For four years, the Bharatiya Janata Party spent time in misrule and corruption scandals, but all of a sudden they have woken up panicking due to the positive public response to our government's achievements. They are desperately clinging to the arrest of a criminal suspect in Hubballi to lead their baseless charge. BJP leaders need to understand that assigning caste and religious labels to criminals is extremely dangerous," the Chief Minister said.
Drawing parallels, he recalls the arrest of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa by Lokayukta police during the BJP's governance, questioning the party's current outrage.
"Even when the BJP government was in power in the state, the Lokayukta police had arrested Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and sent him to jail. Is that Hubballi criminal suspect any greater Hindu or devotee of Rama than Yediyurappa? So, was the government at that time anti-Hindu? Not even the leaders of the BJP's parent organization called the government that arrested Hindu Yediyurappa anti-Hindu, did they? Why this outcry now?" CM Siddaramaiah said.
He highlighted the disarray within the BJP, citing a lack of acceptance for its state president and an absence of respect for opposition leaders' statements in the assembly.
"The situation of BJP in the state is like a house with a hundred doors. Even today, senior leaders of the party have not accepted its state president. Members in the assembly did not show any respect to the opposition leaders' statements," the Chief Minister said.
"The party is so powerless that it cannot even issue a warning notice to MLA Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal, who is making serious allegations against Yediyurappa and his children every day. The Congress government is becoming more popular day by day. Out of desperation, BJP leaders are rallying around a criminal suspect," he added.