BJP and JD(S) are ideologically different, says G.T. Deve Gowda
The Hindu
Even though the JD(S) has joined hands with the BJP to fight the coming Lok Sabha elections together, the two parties will pursue their own different ideologies, said senior JD(S) leader G.T. Deve Gowda.
Even though the JD(S) has joined hands with the BJP to fight the coming Lok Sabha elections together, the two parties will pursue their own different ideologies, said senior JD(S) leader G.T. Deve Gowda.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Wednesday, Mr. Gowda, who also heads the party’s core committee, traced the origins of JD(S) to the party founded by late socialist leader Jayprakash Narayan and preserved by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
“The JD(S) has its own principles and ideology. BJP is different and JD(S) is different,” he said while adding that the parties had an understanding to share the seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections to counter the Congress party, which is strong in Karnataka.
When his attention was drawn to party leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy sporting a saffron shawl during a protest over the Keragodu flag row in Mandya recently, Mr. Gowda sought to make it clear that the JD(S) leader did not wear a BJP garment.
Pointing out that it was common for people to wear saffron shawls when visiting religious places, Mr. Gowda said a youth had put a saffron shawl around Mr. Kumaraswamy when he visited an Anjaneya temple in Mandya. “The shawl did not have the BJP’s lotus symbol. It was not a BJP shawl,” he said.
Contending that one cannot term it a BJP’s shawl as it did not have the lotus symbol, Mr. Gowda said the Congress has unnecessarily blown the issue out of proportion. “Let them question us when we accept their ideology,” he said before making it clear that the JD(S) will not compromise on its symbol and principles.
With regard to the protest Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was leading in the national capital’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged injustice to Karnataka over the release of Central funds, Mr. Gowda said Mr. Siddaramaiah should have held talks with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sorted out the issue over a meeting.