deve gowda: INDIA bloc a bundle of groups making secularism a joke: Deve Gowda

Bengaluru: JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda said on Saturday that the INDIA bloc is a bundle of groups that have made secularism a joke. In a veiled attack on the INDIA bloc, he reminded them that TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was a Railway Minister when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee headed the NDA government.

Similarly, father of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and former CM M Karunanidhi was in BJP for six years. His son-in-law was a minister in the then union government.

TMC and DMK are part of INDIA bloc.

“We can quote a few instances. The so-called secularism in this country, if someone talks (about it), people say it is a joke. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has collaborated with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. A Congress member is a Speaker (in Maharashtra). I can cite several cases and these developments do not fit the true meaning of secularism,” Gowda told PTI in an exclusive interview

With the Congress alleging that his Janata Dal (Secular) had tied up with the communal BJP, the former prime minister sought to know how many states the grand old party ruled. This is only in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, he quipped.

The 90-year-old leader praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the latter seeks a third term. Modi is different from Vajpayee. The BJP under the leadership of Vajpayee did not cross more than 180 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, while Modi got 282 seats (only BJP) and with NDA partners, it was more than 350 seats in his first term. Now he aims to cross 400 seats with the alliance, Gowda said. He said, Modi’s leadership was recognized not only in India but also in other countries.

“The atmosphere today, whether in India or outside, is such that he (Modi) has got recognition. These people (opposition parties) are not taking a stand and are talking irrelevant things. I don’t want to be harsh on them .

“It’s just for public consumption (attacking Modi), people don’t take them seriously,” the veteran politician said.

Gowda advised the opposition parties to realize that Modi is the supreme leader now, which people should accept.

With the Congress alleging that in the last 10 years, an autocracy and a few “crony capitalists” have benefited and not the poor and deserving, the former prime minister wondered what the strength of the Congress is now and how many seats they have expected.

“They did not get the recognition (of the opposition party) for two terms in Parliament. No use of talking about the Congress party,” he noted.

On the seat-sharing formula between BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Gowda said his party has not set any conditions.

With buzz that either his son and former Chief Minister HD Kumarswamy or his son Nikhil Kumarswamy may contest the Lok Sabha elections, the JD(S) patriarch said his son will decide how the formation should be the things.

“I cannot forecast what will happen tomorrow, he (Kumaraswmy) himself is a leader. His leadership is unquestionable. He has to decide. He will discuss all nonsense with PM Modi and Union Home Minister which is Amit Shah and will come out with proper understanding,” Gowda said.