राजनीति

'Those who can't be of their religion...': Smriti Irani slams Jagadish Shettar

The exit of former Karnataka chief minister from the BJP just ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 continued to dominate the campaigning there as Union minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday called him a backstabber and said those who can not be of their religion, family or ideology can never be of the public. "Today I want to ask him whose No. 2 you are -- Shivakumar's or Siddaramaiah's?" Smriti Irani said.

Union minister Smriti Irani at Dharwad in Karnataka on Tuesday.

Addressing a public meeting in Dharwad as the party's star campaigner, the Union minister said, "A few days ago one of our men backstabbed us and went to the other camp. Everyone knows who I am talking about. I want to tell the people of Hubli-Dharwad that who cannot be of their religion, family or ideology can never be of the public."

"He is elder to us. We made him the Chief minister. We brought him to the top and for his own greed he went to the other side," Smriti Irani said.

Union home minister Amit Shah too on Tuesday said that Shettar will lose the election as Hubbali has always voted for the BJP. "There'll be no loss, Jagdish Shettar will himself lose the election, Huballii has always voted for BJP & all workers of BJP are united," Amit Shah said.

Reacting to Amit Shah's claim, Shettar said, "He is the home minister. he must have taken a report of this constituency and the report of Karnataka politics. Day by day, the party is coming down. With that apprehension, he started attacking Jagadish Shettar."

Shettar left the BJP bringing the Lingayat issue to the forefront as he is the second senior leader from the community to leave BJP. Shettar said some people with vested interests are controlling the government in Karnataka.