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Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that serious action would be taken if the investigation found the allegations of “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans being raised inside the Vidhana Soudha to be true.
When Congress workers were celebrating the victory of Syed Naseer Hussain in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday evening, some people allegedly shouted “Pakistan zindabad’’ slogans along with “Naseer zindabad’’. Videos of the celebrations with Hussain’s supporters cheering for him went viral on the internet, and allegations also surfaced that the “Pakistan zindabad” slogan was heard.
Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said there was no question of sparing anyone.
“It is not only an allegation by the BJP but also by the media,’’ he added.
The government had referred the video to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
“If the FSL report proves that the slogan raised in favour of Pakistan is true, serious action will be taken in this regard. There is no question of protecting those who raised slogans in favour of Pakistan,” he stated.
Meanwhile, following the incident, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a police complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police, and a case was registered against “unknown persons” on Tuesday. However, a day later, the police said they had not found any witnesses to the slogans being heard.
The issue rocked both Houses of the Karnataka legislature on Wednesday. The Assembly had to be adjourned twice before the BJP MLAs trooped into the well of the House, leading to its adjournment for the day.
In the Legislative Council, BJP’s N Ravi Kumar and Congress’ Abdul Jabbar almost came to blows, when the latter asked chairman Basavaraj Horatti to tell Kumar to “shut his mouth’’. His remark came after Kumar labelled the Congress government “anti-national.”
Later, Jabbar said he was withdrawing the words he had used against Kumar, which were prompted by the fact that he was hurt by the Congress being described as anti-national.
Replying to the issue in the Assembly, home minister G Parameshwara said, “The BJP is raising doubts about the Congress’ patriotism for the country when it was the one that strived to get independence for the country. Should we learn about what independence is from others? For the sake of independence, many sacrificed their lives. Didn’t patriotism stem from there?’’ he asked.
Parameshwara agreed that the present-day Congress is different from what it was earlier. “But our hearts and souls have not changed since 1885, when the struggle for independence started,” he added.
On the BJP’s allegations that the Congress was supporting those who talk in favour of Pakistan or raise slogans of zindabad or the country’s flag, Parameshwara reminded the opposition that in 1972, under the regime of the Congress, India fought a war against the neighbouring country.
“We were on the verge of finishing it, and you talk of the Congress encouraging those who raise slogans in favour of it. How is it justified?’’ he asked.
However, the BJP was not convinced by the reply.
The leader of the opposition, R Ashoka, said the Vidhana Soudha is not just a building, it represents 70 million Kannadigas.
“How can someone say Pakistan zindabad inside the Vidhana Soudha without the police taking any action against them. How did they let them go,” he asked.
Meanwhile, Hussain posted a video on X where, in an interview with ANI, he denied the allegations.
“I did not hear anybody shouting Pakistan zindabad. Had I heard, I would have sent them to jail,” he added.
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