Lingayat letter row: Another journo held in Karnataka; BJP calls it ‘vendetta politics’
Bengaluru (MN): Close on the heels of the arrest of the founder of Postcard News Vikram Mahesh Hegde on April 24, another senior journalist SA Hemanth Kumar has been held for questioning by the Bengaluru cops on Friday. The journo is being questioned in relation to the alleged letter written by Karnataka home minister MB Patil to Sonia Gandhi, former AICC president, in relation to the Lingayat separate religion row.
The matter is being investigated based on a complaint filed by the home minister MB Patil himself.
The move to question the journalist has certainly enraged the BJP, which feels the home minister and the chief minister are using their office to pursue their personal vendetta.
“The government of Karnataka, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and the home minister are trying to shake the fourth pillar of the constitution. This is an unwarranted action against a journalist. There are no reasons to suspect him. They are trying to make him an accused. The source of a journalist should never be asked. When things are not clear, the government should not have done this,” says Shreenath Sheshadrii, a BJP spokesperson.
The BJP also suspects that the home minister is trying to hide his follies in relation to the Lingayat issue and divert attention.
“Basically, we get a doubt if he is a home minister for the Congress or for the state. This is absolutely a vendetta kind of a thing. He is trying to cover up his follies in the Lingayat issue and divert attention through the fake letter issue,” the spokesperson added.
The arrest has certainly made the BJP feel more vexed and indignant. If the government can make such quick moves in the fake letter case, the BJP feels, why can’t it take palpable notice of other complaints and act swiftly?
“We had registered a complaint against Belur Gopalakrishna, who had openly provoked people to shoot the Prime Minister. But no action has been taken as of now. There are other so-called rationalists like Bhagawan who issue calumnies against Hindu gods and goddesses. The government sits quiet in such issues,” the spokesperson argued.