Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel while speaking to the party workers at a launch 'Booth Vijay Abhiyan' in Mangaluru said that they should prioritise the issue of "love jihad" over small issues related to roads and sewer.
BJP Karnataka president invited flak from the opposition as Congress' state unit tweeted stating, "communal strife is used by BJP to hide its failures and corruption.
"Development of the state, employment and education are minor issues! It’s shameful that BJP has asked its party workers not to talk about development, of which it has done little."
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"I told them not to talk about roads, gutters, drains and other small issues…. If the issue concerning your children’s lives — love jihad — has to be stopped, then we need the BJP to form the government," Kateel told party workers, as quoted by Indian Express.
Besides, Kateel also welcomed the Centre's decision to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI). "Had the PFI not been banned, today we wouldn’t have BJP leaders Monappa Bhandary and Hari Krishna Bantwal (of Dakshina Kannada) on stage. MLA Vedavyas Kamath would not have been here. There would have only been a garland over their photos," IE said quoting Kateel.
"The message is loud & clear by the BJP President. With nothing to showcase to the people, BJP will resort to polarizing the elections. One never hears BJP speak on development of state or about youth’s future," Chittapur Congress MLA Priyank Kharge tweeted.
Responding to Kateel's comments, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar questioned, "When have BJP's priorities ever been about development employment?"