Hariprasad attacks BJP, says Shudras and Dalits being ‘used’ without adequate representation

Bengaluru, Sept 13: Senior Congress leader and KPCC president B K Hariprasad on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, urging Shudras and Dalits not to join the saffron party, alleging that they were being used for political purposes without being given adequate representation.

“Shudras and Dalits should not go to the BJP with great expectations. They will use you, but will not make you MLAs. In the Congress, even if it takes some time, you will get the appropriate position,” Hariprasad said.

He was speaking at the Bharat Jodo Auditorium during a programme organised to welcome former MLA Narendra Babu into the Congress fold.

Addressing those considering joining the BJP, Hariprasad urged them to look beyond immediate political ambitions and think about the future of their children. He said his own elevation to the KPCC president’s post came after 53 years of political experience and cited former minister H D Revanna as an example of how opportunities could come with patience.

“The question is not whether Narendra Babu will become an MLA or a minister. Think about how the future of your children should be,” he said.

Hariprasad also asked people to assess the developments in the country since the BJP came to power in 2014 before deciding their political allegiance.

He accused the BJP of damaging the education system and alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET. He said backward classes, Dalits, minorities and women had secured their rights through the Constitution and warned against attempts to undermine constitutional values.

“Whatever rights you have today are because of the Constitution. Otherwise, we would have been standing outside the gate,” he said.

Taking further aim at the BJP’s politics, Hariprasad alleged that people were being told what they should eat, wear and which God they should worship. In contrast, he said, the Congress believed that people should have the freedom to follow any religion and worship any God.

“The government and religion have no connection. The government belongs to everyone, and the Constitution is the great document that guarantees this,” he said.

Hariprasad also accused successive BJP governments of failing to protect public-sector institutions built over decades. He credited Congress governments with establishing major institutions and industries that, he said, contributed to the development of Bengaluru and Karnataka.

He further claimed that several people had joined the BJP with political ambitions but would eventually return to the Congress, as he alleged Narendra Babu had done.

“Some may have gone to the BJP for the desire for power, but all of them will return like Narendra Babu,” Hariprasad said.