HDK slams BJP, but Muslim trust deficit an issue

HIGHLIGHTS

• Wading into the controversy of loudspeakers in mosques, JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy lashed out at the BJP government for raising communal issues.

• “There were no problems with loudspeakers for 75 years, so where is the problem now? I am standing up against the BJP only to protect the people. Not to please anyone. The BJP and right-wing organisations are destroying society. They are setting the streets on fire. In spite of all this, what is the government doing? You have allowed dangerous forces to move around. Where has your strength gone now?”, he said on Monday.

• Kumaraswamy raising these issues against the BJP after indirectly supporting the saffron party on many issues, and even getting his party MLC elected as Upper House chairman, has surprised many.

• Asked if Kumaraswamy is sensing an opportunity to move into the secular space, which is largely a domain of the Congress, political analyst BS Murthy said, “Kumaraswamy thinks that minorities feel the Congress countering the BJP has not been effective. He is an instinctive politician; he sees an opening and has moved in. I am not surprised to see he’s got a good response. He is trying to set a narrative to counter Hindutva.’’

• Recently, the JDS openly “poached” CM Ibrahim, and sources say this is the JDS’ massive secular push. The party fielded two Muslim candidates in the last bypolls, but experts say that trust is important.

• “Do Muslims trust him? Considering that Kumaraswamy’s party had polled less than 1 per cent of Muslim votes in the last election, is the party working hard to regain the Muslim vote?” Murthy said.

• “Upper House chairman Basavaraj Horatti, who is leaving the JDS to join the BJP, had said Kumaraswamy agreed to him moving to BJP. This makes it appear like a consensual move. These moves may not help the JDS establish credibility, because JDS has always played the opportunistic ally to both BJP and Congress,” he said.