’Allow Muslims to live with respect’: Yediyurappa on communal tension in Karnataka

Mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, April 12, 2022: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former CM BS Yediyurappa on Monday, April 11, assured action against fringe elements for taking law into their hands in the state. The statements by both senior leaders of the BJP have assumed importance as they came amid a continuous campaign by certain Hindu groups to completely boycott Muslim merchants and businessmen.

Speaking to reporters, CM Bommai said, "Ours is a constitutionally elected government. We are working by keeping law and order maintenance and equality as a benchmark." He further stated that if people campaign with their ideologies, there is no problem. However, if they take law into their hands or turn violent, the government can not tolerate it. “A message has already been sent in this direction," Bommai stated.

Answering a question on whether he was being a silent spectator as Hindu organisations were targetting Muslims, Bommai said that during Congress rule, cases were withdrawn against individuals and organisations which had direct role in murder of Hindu activists. "We need not learn from them," he said.

Former Chief Minister Yediyurappa too, has said that there should not be any untoward incident in the state. “Hindus and Muslims should live like brothers. They should stop acts causing disharmony and let everyone, including Muslims, live with respect and honour. Few miscreants are causing disturbance in society. I have spoken to CM Bommai. He has assured of legal action against miscreants. I will also give a piece of advice to people that they should get busy with their work, without bothering about agendas to create unrest in the society," he said.

Yediyurappa said when he was the CM, he had warned Hindu groups of initiating legal action if they targeted the Muslim community during the first wave of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Bommai was also asked about his response to Hindu groups in Manguluru planning to form a ‘task force’ on ‘love jihad.’ “People do the needful for their protection, but there is law for everything. Many of the laws were enacted by the previous governments. Hence, everything will go as per law and protecting the law is our duty,” the Times of India quoted him as saying in response. ’Love jihad’ is a term coined by exponents of Hindutva targeting Muslims. It alleges that Muslim men lure, seduce and trap Hindu women by pretending to be in love with them, and then deceive them by compelling the women to convert to Islam in order to get married. The BJP-led Union government has also said in Parliament that there is no such term in official records.

Courtesy: The News Minute