Hindu leaders slam RSS veteran Kalladka Bhat for insulting U T Khader

Mangaluru, Apr 6: In a major embarrassment for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, several Hindu community leaders have come down heavily on its veteran leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for his offensive remarks against U T Khader, Karnataka Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.

Speaking at a hunger protest organized by the members of Amrutadhara Gaushala at Kairangala in Bantwal taluk under the pretext of exerting pressure on police to arrest cattle thieves on Thursday, Mr Bhat warned temple management committees in Ullal region against allowing Mr Khader inside the temple. He went on to suggest that temples should hold Brahma Kalashotsava ceremony once again because of the visit of Mr Khader.

Enraged by Mr Bhat’s remarks, a group of local leaders from Hindu community including representatives of the management committees of various temples in Ullal region on Thursday held a press meet to show solidarity with Mr Khader, who also represents Ullal (Mangaluru) constituency in Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Those who were present at the press meet include Suresh Bhatnagara, vice president of Bhagavati Kshetra, Vishwanat Gatty Vagga, president of the management committee of Someshwara Temple, Rohit Ullal from Koragajja Seva Samiti, Shridhar Kaniruthota, president of Malayali Chamundi Temple of Kaniruthota, Shrinivas Shetty of Asaigoli Ayyappa Temple, and local activists Santosh Kumar Shetty, Purushottama Anchan, Deepak Pilar, Harish Madyar, Sampath Madyar, Kishor Gatty Mandoli, Dheeraj Shetty, Ranjit Shetty and Ravi Shetty Pilar.

They said that Mr Khader, being a state minister and representative of all the people irrespective of caste, community and religion, has all the rights to visit temples. They also said that Mr Khader has contributed to the growth of many temples in his constituency. “We are grateful to Mr Khader for contributions. BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, despite being the MP of Dkshina Kannada, has done nothing for the development of temples,” they said.

Santosh Kumar Shetty, who is also Ullal Block Congress chief, said that Mr Bhat should learn the teachings of Hinduism before criticizing a leader like Mr Khader, who is known for communal harmony and amity.

“Those who steal cattle should be arrested and punished. Mr Khader had pressurized Mangaluru city police to speed up man hunt and arrest the thieves who stole cows from gaushala. However, those who are staging hunger strike are in fact playing political games to support a particular party,” he said. He went on to claim that Mr Bhat himself may send thieves to steal cows as part of his political strategy ahead of Karnataka assembly polls.

Mr Shetty also recalled that in the past Mr Bhat, Mr Kateel and other leaders of Sangh Parivar had held Mr Khader responsible for the murder of Kartik Raj, a Hindu youth. Gradually, it had come to light that Kartik Raj’s killers not only had links with saffron outfits but also had taken part in the protest against the same murder.