Mangaluru: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the coastal city to conduct a roadshow in support of BJP candidate Brijesh Chowtha on Sunday evening, a controversy that stirred up the coastal areas of the state and neighboring Kerala has resurfaced.
Billava community leader Satyajeeth Surthakal has criticized the BJP for only remembering Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer, during elections. He criticized the central government for not allowing a tableau featuring the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru during the Republic Day parade in the national capital two years ago. Surthakal charged that if they had allowed it then, it would have been a mark of respect for the social reformer, but they rejected the tableau with lame excuses.
Surthakal pointed out that Modi will initiate his roadshow by garlanding the statue of Sree Narayana Guru now, but BJP leaders did not utter a single word over that issue and did not participate in the protest then. He criticized the BJP for now sharing posts of PM Modi with photographs featuring Narayana Guru and Kote Channayya, labeling these actions as mere stunts to show public respect for these great souls.
He questioned the moral grounds on which BJP leaders are garlanding the statue of Sree Narayana Guru. Surthakal noted that the BJP has not expelled a leader who spoke against Kote Chennayya, and although the BJP had the opportunity, they did not name the airport after him; now they claim they will do so. Surthakal asked on what basis the community should trust them.
Surthakal also reminded that the BJP government removed a lesson on Sree Narayan Guru from the social science textbook of class 10. Later, due to pressure from the community, it was again included in the textbook, yet no BJP leaders raised their voice against this then, he said.
He further stated that the BJP even felicitated Rohith Chakratheertha, then Chairman of the Text Review Committee of Karnataka, whose committee had excluded the chapter on the social reformer. Chakratheertha participated in a religious program in a temple in Venur despite stiff opposition from the community, Surthakal added.
Surthakal said that the BJP is attempting to deceive the people of the Billava community under the pretext of honoring Sree Narayana Guru, but the community has decided to teach the BJP a lesson, and they will do so.
