Ramanagaram: Former CM and JD(S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) has counter attacked AICC President Rahul Gandhi’s statement that JD(S) is not a secular party but ‘Sangh Parivar’ party,  asking him if Congress was a secular party.

He was speaking at Magadi in Ramanagaram as part of Kumar Parva convention on Mar.25 and said that he had immense faith and respect for all religions and caste and he looked at all of them equally and that is what is secularism. “However, what about your party? For years you have wooed the Minorities and having believed that Majority is in your fold ignored them and claim that you are secularists,” he thundered. “Because you ignored the dominant communities your party is on the verge of being decimated. At the time of drowning, your party needed a strong, true pro-secular leader. However, a person like you who does not understand the political realities and India’s social fabric has been made the leader. You are easy fodder to BJP which is out to create a Congress-Mukth Bharat,” said Kumaraswamy expressing his anger.

False secularism claim: In a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, Kumaraswamy said, “The false secularism that you believe in will teach you a lesson. You are now visiting temples, churches and mosques. In the coming days, the people will give a befitting reply to your charade of secularism. When you criticise JD(S) there is fear in your voice. And when you uttered these words you must remember that you uttered them in Mandya which is the Cauvery basin and the people there are going to wipe your party out. The future nightmare that you are going to experience has forced you to utter such untruths.”

Misuse of Basavanna: “In order to gain political mileage, the Congress has split the Veerashaiva-Lingayats. We do not need to learn any lesson from a party that is misusing Basavanna’s name and his philosophy. The people are going to teach your party a lesson. Your party has just managed to stay afloat in the State and the time is not far off when you will drown here also,” Kumaraswamy warned the Congress.