Despite murmurs of anti-incumbency in his constituency, union minister for parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi is looking to win for a fifth consecutive term from the Lingayat-dominated Dharward constituency. He spoke to DH about the Neha Hiremath murder case, the Prajwal Revanna sex abuse case and the Muslim reservations in Karnataka, among a range of issues. Edited excerpts:
You are looking at a fifth term and Dharwad has seen the murder of Neha Hiremath, the daughter of a Congress corporator. The Congress has accused the BJP of communalising the issue. How would you respond?
I’m grateful for the people of Dharwad Lok Sabha for reposing their faith in me from the last four terms. As far as the murder of the college is concerned, Congress has always played the politics of appeasement and has encouraged communalism.
The Congress’s accusation towards BJP is totally political; instead of accusing us, they should do self-introspection which they never do.
Whether it is the blast in Rameshwaram Cafe or Neha’s murder, the Congress government’s response has been to paint a different picture. Congress is known for its soft approach on radical elements. They are more worried about their vote bank
How do you think BJP will fare in Karnataka? Will it be able to manage the same amount of seats that it did in 2019?
I am 100% confident that the BJP will do well. The people of Karnataka are aware of the Modi government’s performance, and the work that has gone into making our country a powerful one.