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Former Karnataka chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagadish Shettar has called the Neha Hiremath murder a case of “Love Jihad” and said the Congress must answer. Speaking to News18 while campaigning for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Shettar said while the BJP has not made it a political issue, Congress had a lot to answer on the murder case with its “policy of minority appeasement”.
When asked whether the Prajwal Revanna alleged sex tapes will affect the prospects of the BJP-JDS alliance in the state this election, Shettar refused to comment on the issue, adding that it won’t have an impact on the election. The BJP’s Belagavi Lok Sabha candidate also attacked the Congress over wealth re-distribution and inheritance tax.
Here are edited excerpts from Shettar’s interview with News18:
Q: The fight in this election is seen to be between Modi and Siddaramaiah’s guarantees. How do you see it?
Jagadish Shettar: The guarantees serve a limited purpose. With those assurances, the Congress came to power. Now, the effect of the guarantee is over. People also say, “You gave us the guarantee, we elected you, now in the interest of the nation, we must elect Modiji.” Guarantees will not affect the voting pattern for the Lok Sabha elections, and particularly, women voters will vote in large numbers for BJP and Modiji.
Q: Is Belagavi a tough seat for you? Like the Prime Minister used to ask, how’s the josh?
Jagadish Shettar: Bahut accha josh hai (The enthusiasm is good), especially in my Lok Sabha constituency. I have won six times from Hubli because of my political experience, and I even contested one assembly election on a Congress ticket. In all the elections, I have seen massive public support and affection for me. In my political journey, this is a new experience, and I will never forget the love that people are showering on me.
This seat (Belgaum) is the stronghold of the BJP. This seat has always been one, as in the last four occasions, Suresh Angadi got elected from this region with a huge margin. In 2019, he was elected by a margin of 4 lakh votes, and his wife, too, was elected in the subsequent bypolls. In the 2023 assembly, even though the Congress got five seats, and the BJP three seats, the voting pattern in the assembly election is different from Lok Sabha. BJP had a lead of over 90,000 votes in each seat here.
Q: How much will the Neha Hiremath murder case swing votes? The Congress says that the BJP is cashing in on the case for political benefit in this election, especially the Lingayat votes. How do you react?
Jagadish Shettar: We have not made it a political issue. The Congress party’s policy is the appeasement of minorities. It is this support that the Congress gives that has given an accused like Fayaz the guts to brutally attack and murder young Neha Hiremath in broad daylight. This was nothing but Love Jihad. He brainwashed her, married her, and converted her into Islam, isn’t it a case of Love Jihad? This is 100 percent so. On many occasions, the Congress has supported Fayaz, and this has caused law and order issues. Awareness is being generated among people on this, and there is an undercurrent now in this region. So BJP is not making it an issue, but it is the people who are debating it.
Q: Will this be a swing factor in the Bombay Karnataka region, will this issue give the BJP the push it needs?
Jagadish Shettar: If it will be a swing or not, I will not comment on that. Public awareness has been generated, and it definitely affects the minds of the people. One way or another, it will affect the prospects of the election.
Q: The BJP is in alliance with the JDS in this election. Prajwal Revanna’s alleged sex videos are coming out with an embattled JDS debating on possibly expelling the MP. How do you react?
Jagadish Shettar: Whether they are expelling him or not, I have no information on that. After their decision only, I can react.
Q: How much does this affect your alliance?
Jagadish Shettar: Let them take the decision, then I can react. Do not presume. Let the report from the SIT come, and then we will react. This has no impact on this election. When there has been a murder that has happened in front of our eyes, Prajwal Revanna’s case is something we have no idea about. What happened in Hassan, none have details on it. But Neha was murdered in public. Let the Congress give an answer to that first as it was a law and order issue. This issue (Prajwal) will have no impact on other Lok Sabha constituencies.
Q: The Congress is being targeted by the BJP on minority appeasement. The rhetoric that we are seeing on issues like CAA, statements about snatching away of mangalsutras, which even PM Modi has made in several public rallies. The Congress claims that the votes of the minorities and women are with them. Will similar statements made by the PM be part of your campaign as well?
Jagadish Shettar: There is a public debate on this as well. Sam Pitroda, isn’t he part and parcel of the Congress? He was an advisor to Rajiv Gandhi, and his statements should be given importance. It reflects on what is happening in the Congress. His statement that after the death of a person, 50 percent of his wealth is going to the government as tax and then 45 percent to those who fall in the line of hereditary. This shows that they, the Congress, are snatching the mangalsutra of the wife of that person who passed away. Modiji has made the statement in this reference.
Q: You had shifted to the Congress. At that time, we saw your wife in tears, you were in tears as well. Then you said it was hurtful to be in the Congress and did a ghar vapsi to the BJP. How do you see this return to the BJP being accepted on the ground?
Jagadish Shettar: That case was of the past. I have rejoined the BJP. All the BJP workers of the state welcomed us with open arms. It is my ghar vapsi, it is my house. From the days of Jan Sangh to today, it is my house, and I am happy to be back. All our Delhi leaders welcomed me, and the incident that took place a year ago, I explained my reasons then.
Q: One last question, how are you managing in this sweltering heat?
Jagadish Shettar: My body is addicted to this heat.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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