Key Points

Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Legislative Council and senior BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said that there should be one law for the entire state.

The government must allow Hindus to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in a grand and festive manner, LoP Narayanaswamy added.

He warned that if different rules are framed for different communities with the intention of suppressing Hindus, the Congress government itself will have to face the consequences.

He insisted that Hindus should be permitted to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with grandeur across the state.

"Ganapati festival has been celebrated with grandeur for generations. In Kalaburagi, they call it the 'Republic of Kalaburagi', where neither the state law nor the country's law functions properly. There should be one law and one policy for the state. In Kalaburagi, should Ganapati festivities be celebrated in silence? Is it that Congress wants only a 'Silent Ganapati' for Hindus?" he asked about the proposed ban on DJ music during the celebrations.

The Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka's Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge hail from Kalaburagi.

"Others are appeased and uplifted, but Hindus are being suppressed by Congress. Even in Mangaluru, they have banned DJ music during the festival," the LoP alleged.

"There are around 1,300 sound system operators in Mangaluru, providing livelihoods to nearly 6,000 people. But the police are harassing them by issuing warnings, seizing their mike sets at 8 p.m., filing cases, arresting them, and sending them to jail. Their families are being pushed onto the streets. This is an unlawful act," he charged.

"When members in the House raised the issue of not creating hurdles for Ganesh Chaturthi, the government simply adjourned the session. This is a cowardly government," LoP Narayanaswamy said while hitting out at the Karnataka government.

"On the issue of internal reservation, there is confusion and injustice. The nomadic communities are protesting day and night. The recommendations of the Nagamohan Das Committee, the Sadashiva Commission, and the Madhuswamy report have not been implemented. Even the Supreme Court's suggestions have not been followed. The government has divided the nomadic groups into three and pushed them onto the streets," he alleged.

"This (Congress) government is not prepared to discuss any of these issues; even the Chief Minister is evading responsibility," he added.

"If we question them, they resort to character assassination. They only criticise us but fail to give answers. The Chief Minister is incapable of responding," LoP Narayanaswamy said.

"Law and order in the state has collapsed. Rapes are happening, murders are taking place. Instead of addressing these, the state government is busy passing Bills, imposing taxes, and levying cesses. Yet, even after all this, the treasury is empty," he remarked.

On the occasion, Legislative Council Opposition Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, members Shashil Namoshi, Bharathi Shetty, Naveen K.S., D.S. Arun, Pradeep Shettar, Keshav Prasad S., and Kishore Kumar Puttur were present.

- IANS