Stop derogatory remarks or face police action: Karnataka Home Minister to BJP MP Hegde

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday warned BJP MP from Karwar, Anantkumar Hegde, that he must stop making derogatory remarks, failing which he will face police action.

Talking to reporters on demands of legal action against Hegde for his repeated "derogatory" remarks against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara said, it is not the weakness of police that they have not initiated action so far.

"We have to tread patiently with Hegde because he is a former union minister. Presently, he is an MP and he should talk wisely," Parameshwara said.

In Belagavi, indirectly targeting Siddaramaiah, Hegde said: "Those who do not know about their parents will claim themselves as being secular."

"The 'mantrakshate' (sacred rice) have reached homes, after 500 years we have won. Ram mandir is not built by industrialists, the bricks for it have been sent from villages.

"The government had built Somnath temple in Sourashtra. Ram mandir is not built by the government, it is built by Hindus," he said.

Taking a jibe at Siddaramaiah for his remark that he wouldn't attend the Ram Mandir inauguration ('Pran Pratishtha') but visit Ayodhya afterwards, Hegde said, "You (Siddaramaiah) can choose to come or not, the Ram Mandir inauguration won't stop 'magane' (beta)."

Responding to Hegde's criticism, Siddaramaiah had said: "Hegde's contribution as former union minister and MP nis zero. He was absconding for three years and he is trying to get attention by issuing such statements. Culture is all about humanity. Humanity should be there."

Defending his derogatory statement against Siddaramaiah, Hegde said, let Chief Minister Siddaramaiah come for a face to face open public debate on matters of decency and culture.

"It is natural that the leaders of the party won't support my statement and my remarks were personal. In matters of decency, Siddaramaiah should engage with me in an open debate and people should watch it," Hegde said.

"When was the last time he spoke with decency? He has spoken indecently against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. CM Siddaramaiah had also spoken in an unacceptable manner against temples and Hindutva. The Congress leaders have crossed the limits of decency and culture while making comments on the Prime Minister Modi," Hegde said.