Haveri (Karnataka): BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi on Monday said that Pakistan would be a safe place for Congress leader Siddaramaiah to contest the polls as it suited the former Karnataka chief minister's mindset. The Chikkamagaluru MLA took a dig at Siddaramaiah in response to a question about the former chief minister's wish to contest from Kolar, touted to be a safe seat, in the forthcoming assembly polls.
"In my opinion, Pakistan is safe for him (Siddaramaiah)," Ravi said. Speaking to reporters in Haveri's Ranebennur, he said, "For his mindset, Pakistan is safe, as there is no (Prime Minister) Modi or (CM) Basavaraj Bommai or (former CM) Yediyurappa there. If he goes there, there will also be no D K Shivakumar (KPCC chief) or G Parameshwara (Congress leader), or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) to trouble him there. So, Pakistan is safe."
Also read: BJP turning coastal Karnataka into Hindutva laboratory: Siddaramaiah
"Congress is a sinking ship. Congress had won 77 seats in the previous election (2017) in Gujarat. But last time only 17 seats were won. That means Congress has lost 60 seats. So who goes to a sinking ship? The situation is similar in Karnataka. Many people are ready to join BJP from the Congress party. However, we will select, think and include them," he said.
Speaking about Congress Party's Prajadhwani Yatra, CT Ravi said, "Prajadhwani means people should speak. It is not the voice of the people but the voice of Congress. Congress people are there to scold us. Also, they are afraid of us. The people of Karnataka are with us. The Congressmen who looted the citizens are speaking against us."
Earlier this month, Siddaramaiah had announced that he would be contesting the polls from Kolar if the party's high command agrees. Siddaramaiah, in the 2018 assembly polls, had contested two seats, Chamundeshwari and Badami but won only the second seat.
