BJP's 'false propaganda' painted him anti-Hindu, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said that BJP projected him as anti-Hindu in the 2018 Assembly polls using false propaganda, PTI reported.

In an interview given to PTI, he claimed that the Karnataka people did not want BJP in power for another term and said that BJP could not mislead voters now as it did five years ago.

"In 2013, there was a clear mandate from the people for Congress. We had done good work during our tenure between 2013 and 2018. The false propaganda had taken the upper hand because they made allegations against me that I am against majority communities, against upper class and like that and that I am against Hindutva/Hindu dharma," he said.

"Like that they have projected, but it is not true. This time, the people will not believe their propaganda because they know there is no truth in their allegation. That is why, this time, they (BJP) are not talking much about Hindutva/Hindu Rasthra or Hindu dharma, because they wanted to win this time with money power. But it is not possible," he added.

He then said, "caste is not an important factor in the elections..," but "Issues are important. Now the issues are corruption, price rise, unemployment...like that, there are so many issues. People of Karnataka will not consider caste."

Answering the question that if the upcoming polls are a battle between him and PM Modi, he said, "It is not a fight between me and Modi, and that issue will not be discussed in the coming assembly election. It will be the local issues concerning the people of Karnataka, and it is an election to the state legislature, not the Parliament. Therefore the people of Karnataka will discuss local issues," he said.