BJP has become loose cannons: Priyank Kharge

NEW DELHI: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday likened Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders with "loose cannons" and warned that they could not make irresponsible comments and get away with it.

Meanwhile speaking on a possible rollback on the hijab ban in Karnataka, Priyank Kharge, who has been inducted into Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet as a Minister but is yet to be allocated a portfolio, today said that the party will review and if necessary reject any bill that is not in favour of the people or is unconstitutional.

"BJP has become loose cannons. They have lost the connect between their tongue and their brain. They don't think before they speak...They think they can get away with it. That is not going to happen anymore in Karnataka," Kharge, who is also the son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said.

The Congress leader who is in Delhi today was responding to BJP leader and former State minister C N Ashwath Narayan's remarks this February ahead of the Assembly elections in the State in which he had purportedly said that Karanataka chief minister Siddaramaiah should be "finished off" like the erstwhile Mysuru Tipu Sultan.

The FIR was registered under Sections 506 and 153 of the IPC on Thursday at Devaraja police station in Mysuru against Ashwath Narayan for his alleged remark against Siddaramaiah.

Talking to ANI Kharge said, "People need to be very careful about what they speak. As long as they are well within their rights, we have no issues but you cannot demean the Office of the CM or the CM himself and get away with it."

Meanwhile, Ashwath Narayan today said that he had no intention of hurting Siddaramaiah and had expressed his regret over the remark.

"I had made it very clear that my statement had no intention of hurting Siddaramaiah, his sentiments or feelings and I expressed my regret too. The opposition party accepted my statement. Now they are opening the three-month-old closed chapter. I will face it politically as well as legally," the former Karnataka minister said.

During a public event this February in Karnataka, Ashwath Narayan had exhorted people to "finish off" Siddaramaiah the way the two Vokkaliga chieftains -- Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda -- had killed the 17-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan. Congress has maintained that the duo are fictional characters.

Meanwhile speaking on a possible rollback on the hijab ban in Karnataka, Priyank Kharge, who has been inducted into Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet as a Minister but is yet to be allocated a portfolio, today said that the party will review and if necessary reject any bill that is not in favour of the people or is unconstitutional.

"We are very clear on our stand we will review any such executive order, we will review any Bill that is regressive to the economic policies of Karnataka, any Bill that brings a bad image to the state, any Bill that is not used for economic activities, any Bill that does not create employment, any Bill that violates the rights of an individual, any Bill that is unconstitutional will be reviewed and if necessary, rejected," Kharge said.

Talking about the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bajrang Dal in the State, Kharge said that organisations that sow seeds of discontent and disharmony will not be tolerated and will be tackled legally and constitutionally.

"Any organisation, either religious, political or social, who are going to sow seeds of discontent and disharmony in Karnataka will not be tolerated. We will tackle them legally and constitutionally. be it Bajrang Dal, PFI or any other organisation. We will not hesitate to ban them if they are going to be a threat to law and order in Karnataka," the minister said.

Congress in its manifesto for the Karnataka assembly election said that the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion.

"We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, Popular Front of India (PFI) or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations," the manifesto said.