Vijayapura: Raising doubts over the alleged suicide of contractor Santosh Patil which led to the resignation K. S. Eshwarappa from his Ministry, BJP National General Secretary, C. T. Ravi has wondered why the contractor chose to died by suicide only in Udupi?
“I have serious doubt over the whole incident of the suicide. Firstly, there is no answer to the question as to why he died by suicide in Udupi only. Secondly, whether the death note forwards in whatsapp was typed by Santosh himself before the death or somebody else did it on his behalf after his death. Thirdly, why did he choose to stay in a separate room in the hotel while all of his friends stayed together,” he asked.
Addressing media persons on Friday April 15, Ravi said that only the autopsy report will give answers to all these questions.
When asked whether he will seek a CBI probe, he said that since there is no demand for it either from the family of the deceased or from the general public, thus, I do not think that a CBI probe is needed. However he said that based on the situation, the Chief Minister will take appropriate decisions.
On the resignation of Eshwarappa from the Ministry, he said that he welcomed the decision stating that the former took the decision on moral grounds and not because the opposition was demanding.
On the allegations of the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association that they were demanded 40% commission by the Government officials and the elected representatives, Ravi refuted allegations. On the contrary he doubted that someone else is instigating the State President of the association to make allegations against the Government.
Admitting that corruption exists in the system, he however blamed the Congress for nurturing corruption and making it a giant problem.
Claiming that BJP is a secular party which never does politics on communal grounds, BJP National General Secretary C. T. Ravi said that it is Congress that has been doing appeasement politics for the vote of Muslims. He said that the Congress has been doing only appeasement politics which it projects as secularism.
“It is time we should change the definition of secularism and communalism. The Congress projects appeasement as secularism and the BJP which believes in religious equality, projected as communal. What kind of justice is this? If the Congress stands for Hijab then it is a secular party but when the BJP stands for uniform in schools, then the Congress calls it communalism. This is not acceptable at all,” he said.
When sought his reaction of Sri Rama Sene workers destroying the watermelons of Muslim traders recently in Dharawad as he was doing business outside the temple, Ravi though said nobody should take law into their hands, however he again questioned Congress for its failure to stand with Hindu workers.
“When Harsha and Chandru were killed, the Congress stayed quiet but when some watermelons of Muslim vendors were destroyed, the Congress started feeling pain for people. This is nothing but selective politics,” he said.
On the Hijab row also, he said that Congress stood for Hijab while the BJP stood for the uniform. “If the BJP had stood for Hijab, we would have become secular, but since we stood for uniform in the schools, we became communal in the eyes of the Congress,” he retorted.
