BJP protests in Bengaluru as Karnataka Congress chief calls Adityanath ‘disgrace to Indian politics'

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday staged protests in Bengaluru in poll-bound Karnataka against a statement of Congress state unit working president Dinesh Gundu Rao targeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The BJP called for the protest in the Karnataka capital against Rao’s alleged “inciting remarks” on the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Rao had called Adityanath a “disgrace to Indian politics”.

BJP protest in Bengaluru against Congress leader Dinesh Gundurao's 'inciting remarks' on UP CM Yogi Adityanath. BJP State General Secretary N Ravikumar has also complained to EC against Dinesh Gundu Rao pic.twitter.com/qwQeEESASM — ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2018

Amid the protests, BJP Karnataka general secretary N Ravikumar also moved the Election Commission and filed a complaint against the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president.

The protests came after Rao, in reference to the outrage over Unnao rape and custodial death cases, reportedly said, “Mr Adityanath is a disgrace to Indian politics. He is unfit to be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If he had any decency he would have resigned by now.”

Meanwhile, the central unit of the Congress party also hit out at Adityanath, calling him the “real culprit” in the Unnao rape case, demanding his immediate sacking. The opposition party also hit out at the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh over its "indictment" by the Allahabad High Court, saying the chief minister's position had become "rudderless" in the state.

"The real culprit of the Unnao victim, who was reportedly raped in June, 2017 and who pleaded at the doorstep of the BJP chief minister, even attempting self-immolation, is no one else but the CM, Ajay Singh Bisht alias Adityanath, and he should immediately be sacked," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement in the national capital.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two people till now in the Unnao rape case. The agency has also taken into custody Shashi Singh, the woman who allegedly took the 17-year-old victim girl to the prime accused, BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, officials told PTI.