The Janata Dal (Secular) last week formally joined Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Allaince (NDA) to fight together for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. However, JDS Karnataka’s Vice-President Syed Shafiulla Saheb tendered his resignation and quit the party.
On Sunday Shafiulla Saheb Sunday hit out at BJP for “maintaining silence over the situation in Manipur which saw violence”. Saheb, who was the state unit Vice-President, severed his ties with the party following the tie-up with the BJP.
Highlighting the difference between the ideologies of the JD(S) and BJP, he said, “I have resigned from the JDS party following its decision to form an alliance with the BJP .The ideology of the JD(S) and BJP, which is based on Hindutva, are different”.
Stating that the JD(S) has joined a party that creates rift between the communities and castes, Shafiulla said, “I was with the party for the past 30 years. Our party stand on secular credentials, and we have always propagated the principles of Secularism to the voters, and to the general public.
“Now if my party is joining hands with a party which creates a rift between the communities and caste…which preaches and propagates and acts on a communal agenda, we the secular leaders oppose it,” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
Pointing out that he finds it difficult to adjust, Shaifullah said “Even it is for survival, people like me find it difficult to adjust to the kind of mental set up and the kind of propagation of hate in the country.”
He also slammed the Centre over ethnic clashes in the BJP-ruled state of Manipur since May.
“What happened during riots in Manipur..? There is a BJP government, both at the State and Center. Violence broke out under the nose of the BJP government. But the government went in silent mode and did not face it”.
Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy met Union Home Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah in Parliament on Thursday, following which JD(S) formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday.
The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP swept 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka while Congress and JDS secured one seat each and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from the Mandya constituency.
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Updated: 24 Sep 2023, 10:26 PM IST