Against Congress, Deve Gowda's spark

“No matter where we are, we have not given up our party's secular stance. We have been protecting the minorities.  Speaking at the joint press conference with former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy at the JDS office in Bengaluru, former Prime Minister and JDS National President HD Deve Gowda said that he has not abandoned the minorities in the past. Will not let go. We will protect them. He clarified that there has been no change in the secular stand of the party. HD Deve Gowda gave a firm reply to JDS's secular stand and said that he is committed to secular principles. He said that in the last 60 years of his political life, he has not allowed injustice to any community. We are not a party of opportunistic politics. The Congressman, who preaches about secularism, said he could give dozens of examples of efforts to weaken secular forces in the state and nation. There is no compromise in the secular stance. There is no further to do.

HD Deve Gowda lashed out at the Congress saying that everyone knows what they did when they formed an alliance with the Congress and who removed Kumaraswamy's government in Karnataka. Former President of Congress Rahul Gandhi said JDS is a B team from his mouth. He questioned to what extent Congress has saved the secular democracy in the country. He said that he has entered into an alliance with the BJP to save the party. He said that there was a phase of talks about JDS's alliance with the BJP, but the Prime Minister has not discussed it with them. There is no more discussion about seat allocation in the Lok Sabha elections. After discussion in the Parliamentary Board meeting of both the parties seat allocation and further alliance. He said that the format will be decided. I spoke to Union Home Minister Amit about the situation in the state regarding the alliance with BJP. He did not speak secretly. That idea has been revealed. After that, Kumaraswamy spoke to the BJP leaders, who is responsible for the alliance with the BJP? He asked why this happened. He said that the opinion of our party's members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council was collected and the alliance talks were held. 

He further asked, “Who caused the fall of the government by sending 17 MLAs to Mumbai when Kumaraswamy was ruling as the Chief Minister of the Congress-JDS coalition government? Let it be discussed who allowed the formation of the BJP government. Congress leaders themselves had urged us to make Kumaraswamy the CM. They forced us not to and made Kumaraswamy the chief minister. He then accused them of removing the government.”He further said, "We have come out of the fold of a political party and are clean, whether directly or indirectly, without BJP ties. Is it not revealed that some leaders of Left parties worked with BJP to defeat West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee? Did not let people defect and defeat Member of Legislative Council BM Farooq when he contested for Rajya Sabha? Where did the secular stand of the Congress go? He said that they are fighting to save the regional party. Farooq Abdullah lashed out at the Congress as to who took down the government. Earlier, when Kumaraswamy formed the government with the BJP, two Muslim leaders were killed in Mangalore. Kumaraswamy visited there. Those murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment. Gowda asserted that wherever we are, we have not abandoned minorities." He further said, “We will give up the post of National President if our party friends from Kerala save and grow the party in Karnataka. The party has to be saved and nurtured in a difficult situation. Gowda asked where is the gallop of the Congress in the state and said that Cauvery water is running. Former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said that if we had formed an alliance with the BJP earlier, I would have been the Chief Minister for 5 years. He said that JDS is committed to protecting not only minorities but all communities.