In what the Congress has dubbed an attempt at polarisation in Karnataka, BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday claimed that 24-year-old Vidvat, who was attacked by Congress MLA NA Haris’s son Nalapad, is a BJP worker in a rally in Sulia, Dakshina Kannada. (He is not.)
The BJP president also claimed that there was no FIR against Nalapad – but the truth is that an FIR was registered on Sunday morning. Vidvat’s friends filed a complaint on Saturday night, and due to the delay in filing the FIR, the concerned inspector has been suspended.
Amit Shah further accused the Siddaramaiah government of appeasing Muslims in the instance, saying, “If Siddaramaiah thinks politics of appeasement will be successful, he's wrong. Appeasement and polarisation here reflects in example where son of MLA Haris thrashed a man but there was no FIR. Why? Not only bcoz he's Haris's son but bcoz it involves appeasement of groups,” as quoted by ANI.
BJP National President @AmitShah made a big blunder by claiming Vidvat to be a BJP party worker. But former Deputy CM R Ashoka later gave a clarification that it was a mistake on the part of Amit Shah and that Vidvat was not a BJP party worker. pic.twitter.com/2JmuB5LKU5
— NEWS9 (@NEWS9TWEETS) February 20, 2018
If Siddaramaiah thinks politics of appeasement will be successful, he's wrong. Appeasement & polarisation here reflects in example where son of MLA Haris thrashed a man but there was no FIR. Why? Not only bcoz he's Haris's son but bcoz it involves appeasement of groups: Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/tYBio0gMdw
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018
However, as the BJP’s R Ashoka – former Deputy CM of Karnataka – clarified, Amit Shah’s statement was wrong. Vidvat is not a BJP worker, and Nalapad is currently in police custody. An attempt to murder (IPC 307) section has also been added to the FIR by the Bengaluru police, after permission from the court.
Amit Shah’s endorsement of wrong facts has drawn the ire of the Congress, with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself leading the attack against the BJP president.
Siddaramaiah in a tweet said, “The BJP says whoever has been killed or assaulted in Karnataka are its party workers. Will they now giving party posts to not just those who are alive, but also those who are dead?”
ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸತ್ತವರು, ಏಟು ತಿಂದವರೆಲ್ಲರೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ, ಜೀವಂತರಾಗಿರುವವರಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ಸತ್ತವರಿಗೂ ಪಕ್ಷ ಸದಸ್ಯತ್ವ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆಯೇ? #AmitShah
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 20, 2018
In a similar tweet, minister UT Khader said, “For the past three months, whoever is dying in the state, the BJP is claiming it is their worker. They are trying to divide the society in order to garner votes. They are trying to play politics over death.”
A similar situation had occured when the BJP leadership had claimed that 19-year-old Paresh Mesta who died under mysterious circumstances in Honnavar to be their party worker.
This was later clarified by Paresh father to be untrue.