Congress colluding to turn K’taka into B’desh: BJP on migrant rehabilitation (Lead)

Bengaluru, Jan 5 (IANS) Karnataka BJP chief President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said on Monday that the Congress-led government is colluding to turn the state into another Bangladesh. 

Speaking at a protest organised near the Country Club on Bagalur Main Road under the slogan “Save Kogilu, remove illegal migrants”, Vijayendra termed the move to allot houses to alleged illegal migrants an unpardonable crime and said the BJP strongly condemns it and will launch statewide protests.

He alleged that in Kogilu, the Congress workers and leaders had provided water and electricity connections to illegal occupants and collected bribes of Rs 2–3 lakh. 

He further accused the Congress party and workers of taking bribes and colluding to turn Karnataka into Bangladesh.

“India is a democracy, and BJP workers are not the kind who will be intimidated by such hollow threats,” he said. 

He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar should understand this.

He said it was the Congress-led government that demolished houses, but the moment AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal issued threats, Siddaramaiah, fearing the loss of his chief ministerial chair, decided to provide houses to illegal migrants.

He alleged that Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, with ambitions of becoming chief minister, used K.C. Venugopal to threaten the CM and push the government towards allotting houses to illegal migrants.

Vijayendra said people of Karnataka are questioning whether K.C. Venugopal is the chief minister of the state or Siddaramaiah. He accused the government of insulting Hindus and pointed out that 38 lakh people in the state have applied for housing.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, speaking at the protest, said people from Kerala had come, collected information and gone back. 

He said allowing them to enter the state was wrong, and they should have been arrested. He questioned who had given the government the authority to provide houses to the Rohingyas who had come from Bangladesh.

He said houses should be given legally and asked why the government was showing special affection in this case. He criticised the government for not providing houses to those who have paid money and have been waiting.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan said the Congress government lacks self-confidence and self-respect. 

He alleged that the government had announced it would provide houses to Bangladeshis within 24 hours and termed the move immoral and illegal.

--IANS

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