Kannada activist accuses BJP of ignoring Kannadiga sentiments
The pro Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, from Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, voiced his criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prioritizing Tamil culture in Tamil-dominated areas of Bengaluru. He claimed that the party does not prioritise Kannada and is using culture politics for the elections.
At a press conference in the Bangalore Press Club today, Nagaraj accused Annamalai and the BJP of hurting Kannadiga sentiments by playing the Tamil state song at the election campaign at the rally in Shivamogga yesterday.
“Today, in Karnataka, there is no respect for Kannada language; this is the state of Kannada language. If pro-Kannada groups don’t wake up and protect its language, the language will vanish from the state,” said Nagaraj.
He further questioned Annamalai’s visit to Karnataka for the elections, “He just came for the Tamilians here.” Nagaraj insinuated that this form of campaigning does not prioritise Kannada.
In Sarvagananagar today, Annamalai held a road show where he spoke in Tamil to the Tamil-origin demography there. Munikrishna C, state BJP in-charge, Sarvagnanagar, said that Annamalai campaign in Karnataka is to attract the Tamil-origin votes here.
Experts said that identity politics might not be enough for BJP to win the elections this time.
Nagraj is an independent candidate who will fight elections for the post of Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Chamrajnagar constituency. He has already represented and served Chamrajnagar for four times in the past years.
He is popular for his unique forms of protests and is often called the “Bandh man” of Karnataka.
Nagaraj further voiced his grievances against the government and the election officers ahead of assembly polls.
He accused the election commission of being “blind” in pointing out faults committed by other parties. He said that the maximum amount of money that a party can use for election campaigns is upto Rs. 40 lakh. However, political parties in Karnataka have exceeded that sum, and money used for campaigning has reached crores. He added, “The election commissioner should check into the scenario and charge politicians and parties for this.”
Mubarak Pasha, an auto consultant from Chamrajnagar said, “Nagraj is a leader who has been true to his roots and culture. He is a dedicated leader who cares about the Kannada state and ethnicity more than anyone”.
He also said that he had protested for various reasons in the past fighting for the welfare of his fellow Kannadigas.
