Congress believes in Mahatma Gandhi's 'Sita Ram', BJP in Godse's 'Ram': Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Raising the Jai Sita Ram slogan in the legislative assembly, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted that he too is a disciple of Lord Ram and has built two temples in his village dedicated to the deity.

The Chief Minister was replying to the discussion on the budget in the Assembly amid protests by the BJP and JD(S) demanding the Congress government's resignation for its "inaction" in nabbing the culprits who allegedly raised the Pakistan zindabad slogans, after the ruling party member Syed Naseer Hussain was declared elected to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. BJP and JD(S) members later staged a walkout.

"People are watching you (BJP), you are defending injustice done to the state (by the Centre). They (state BJP leaders) don't have the guts to speak in front of Modi," Siddaramaiah said, hitting back at BJP legislators, as they were shouting "Modi, Modi" slogans.

Then when they started shouting "Jai Sri Ram" slogans, he replied with chants of "Jai Jai Sita Ram, Jai Jai Sita Ram."

"BJP people don't have a brain inside their head, their head is empty. They have not read Ramayana or Mahabharata, they just listen to what others say. Someone has built a Ram temple there in Ayodhya, for that these people shout slogans here. I too have built Ram temples," the Chief Minister said.

Continuing, Siddaramaiah said, "For everything they say Jai Sri Ram. Aren't we Ram Bhakts? We don't just say Jai Sri Ram, we say Jai Sita Ram, because ours is a joint family system. You see in all Ram temples there will be Sri Ramachandra, Sita, Lakshman and Anjaneya (Hanuman), but these people (BJP) only say Jai Sri Ram."

Stating that he has built two Ram temples in his village, he said, "Am I not Ram Bhakt? I have Rama in my name," he said, as he accused BJP of "dividing families".

"They have divided Ram and Sita-- husband and wife, also brothers (Ram and Lakshman)," he added.

"We (Congress) believe in Mahatma Gandhi's Sita Ram, BJP believes in Godse's (Nathuram Godse) Ram. That's the difference between BJP and Congress. They (BJP) never had Rashtra Bhakti, they were with the British during the freedom struggle, they should be ashamed," the chief minister said.

Accusing the BJP of betraying Kannadigas by not taking a stand against "injustice" caused to the state by the central government, Siddaramaiah also targeted the JD(S) by questioning its secular credentials for allying with the saffron party. "Remove the word 'secular' from the party name and rename it as 'Janata Dal (BJP)," he said.

"Don't keep the name as JD(S), because I was the first state president, when the party was formed after Janata Dal split into JD(S) and JD(U). As you have gone with BJP, remove 'secular' from the party name, if you want to keep it, come out of it (alliance with BJP)," the chief minister said.

Accusing BJP of betraying Kannadigas, the CM said, "BJP members should have been in the House, I would have got more inspiration to speak. As they can't listen to the truth I'm bringing out, they are playing this drama (by staging a walk out)."

Pointing out that one BJP MLA cross-voted in favour of Congress during the recent Rajya Sabha polls, while the other abstained, he said that this is why they are making this alleged "pro-Pakistan slogan" issue big, despite the government initiating investigation.

"Lies is the home deity of BJP. They can't sat anything other than lies, including Narendra Modi. BJP is a factory that manufactures lies," he alleged.