Dreams of imitating the violence in Bangladesh to undemocratically topple Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been plaguing the Congress and its allies since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed. Now, the same has been voiced by Karnataka Congress leader and Ron MLA GS Patil who declared that agitation akin to those in Bangladesh will erupt in India if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s powers are curtailed. The controversial statements were made during a protest organized by the Taluk Ahinda Union in Gajendragad. “The day is not far when people will storm Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, similar to what happened in Bangladesh,” he threatened.
Gadag, Karnataka: Congress MLA G.S. Patil, during a protest supporting CM Siddaramaiah, claimed that PM Modi’s residence might face a siege similar to that of Bangladesh’s PM. He accused BJP leaders PM Modi and Amit Shah of targeting CM Siddaramaiah for political gains pic.twitter.com/NvJJesNNJ6
— IANS (@ians_india) August 28, 2024
The MLA claimed that the Modi administration is attempting to undermine the Karnataka government headed by the Congress party via the governor. He charged that the interests of capitalists were given precedence over those of the general public by the central government and claimed that Siddaramaiah’s administration was pro-people. “Siddaramaiah is implementing schemes that support the development of all communities in the state.”
He further accused that the Governor had previously refused to authorize prosecution against Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders despite chargesheets against them, but had now permitted Siddaramaiah’s prosecution based on one activist’s complaint. He also slammed BJP leadership and accused PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of taking the country down a perilous path and accused them of causing political unrest in the nation.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders reacted strongly to his statement. Party’s Vijayapura Lok Sabha MP Ramesh Jigajinagi condemned his comments. He criticized the intelligence and comprehension of Congress leaders and charged them with deceiving the public. He argued that the Congress administration has failed to contribute to the state’s growth. Furthermore, he made fun of GS Patil’s assertion, noting that the Congress party’s leadership was disconnected from the practicalities of governance.
Notably, a few days prior Ivan D’Souza, a Congress MLC from the state threatened Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot of encountering a “Bangladesh-like fate” if he refused to revoke his directive for an investigation into Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He announced, “If the President fails to send the Governor back, the Governor’s office will encounter a predicament similar to the one faced by Bangladesh’s prime minister, who was forced to vacate her position abruptly during the night. Our next fight will be with the slogan Chalo Governor’s office,” during a demonstration organised by his party.
On 17th August, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot authorized and sanctioned an investigation against Siddaramaiah about the anomalies in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority’s (MUDA) allocation of substitute locations. Siddaramaiah responded by contesting the Governor’s decree at the Karnataka High Court. The trial court was ordered by the High Court to hold off on taking any further action against the Chief Minister until the 29th August hearing.