A prominent religious leader, Kalyana Swamiji, has mounted a strong attack on two senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders — Karnataka former CM Basavaraj Bommai and incumbent Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Swamiji has urged the people not to vote for BJP, accusing the party of ‘using the Neha Hiremath case for political gains’.
In a viral video with Vartha Bharathi, a Kannada daily, Swamiji is heard saying that the people should reject Bommai and Joshi. “Don’t vote for Basavaraj Bommai and Pralhad Joshi for any reason. They (BJP) have hyped and used the Neha Hiremath case for political gain only. They should stop shedding crocodile tears.”
He went on to call them “demons” who exploited the tragic incident for their own political benefit.
Neha Hiremath was a 23-year-old woman who was stabbed to death on April 18 by her former classmate Fayaz Khandunayak. The incident sparked outrage and protests across the state with BJP alleging that Congress promoted ‘Love Jihad’ in the state. Subsequently, BJP leaders went on seeking votes on her name amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections by inciting fear and using their old tactics that “Hindu women are in danger under Congress rule.”
Swamiji’s remarks suggest that he believes the BJP leadership has been insincere in their response to the case and has leveraged it to score political points, rather than genuinely addressing the concerns of the people.
However, this is not the first time Kalyana Swamiji has taken a strong political stance. He has been critical of the BJP government in the past, accusing them of failing to protect the interests of the common people.
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