Smriti Irani invokes religious pride to attack defected BJP leader in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Establishing more eloquently it is religion that the BJP has trusted for political gains, Union Minister Smriti Irani invoked religion to attack former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar who recently left the BJP camp to join Congress during her election campaign in Karnataka.

On Tuesday, taking on Shettar, Irani said that those who could not be of their religion, family or ideology could not be of the public. Irani, who is one of the star campaigners for the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023, was addressing a crowd in Hubli-Dharwad, where Shettar is contesting.

Apart from calling Shettar a backstabber, Irani claimed that it was the BJP who made him Chief Minister and asked whose number two position he would hold, referring to the power struggle between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah in the Congress party.

“A few days ago one of our men backstabbed us and went to the other camp. Everyone knows who I am talking about. I want to tell the people of Hubli-Dharwad that one who cannot be of their religion, family or ideology can never be of the public," the Union Minister said.

The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also said that Jagadish Shettar would lose the election in Hubballi as the constituency had historically voted for the BJP. Shah had further added that all BJP workers were united and there would be no loss.

Jagadish Shettar had responded to Shah's statement by saying that as the Home Minister, Shah must have reviewed the report of the constituency and the Karnataka political situation. Shettar had also claimed that the party was losing support every day, and with that apprehension, Shah had begun targeting him.

Shettar had left the BJP, bringing the Lingayat issue to the forefront, and he was the second senior leader from the community to do so. He had claimed that some people with vested interests were controlling the government in Karnataka.