Congress Government in Karnataka captained by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is planning to bring an Anti-superstition Bill on the Maharashtra model, has come under severe criticism for practising double standards.
In fact the ongoing Assembly session on Wednesday witnessed a very interesting debate on the issue of Karnataka Water Resources Minister MB Patil performing rituals to appease rain God recently. The major Opposition BJP came down on the Minister and the double standard of the Congress Government.
The saffron party which never opposes performing of rituals chided the Government and said the Minister is performing ‘parjanya homa’, while the Chief Minister known for his rational outlook is propagating the need for Anti-superstition Bill.
Water resource Minister Patil in a suo moto submission sought to clarify about the rituals performed by him that came under severe criticism. He argued that it is part of “our culture” and “tradition” to offer puja to rivers. The rituals were performed for the State’s two important rivers — Cauvery and Krishna — at their birth place for the “betterment” of people. He clarified that he had not performed any “homa or havan,” but only “puja or japa”. This was contradicted by BJP’s Arvind limbavali, citing media reports.
The Minister had recently performed pujas at ‘Talakaveri’ and ‘Mahabaleshwar’ (in Maharashtra). He said it was done with the quest for a good monsoon after recurring drought in the State for three years. After lot of criticism, the Minister said he would pay the expenditure from his money and. The Minister shot back and mentioned instances where such rituals or puja and even ‘parjanya homa’ were performed during the BJP rule, specifically when Jagadsh Shettar, now Opposition leader was Chief Minister.
He claimed Indian Space Research Organisation too performed such rituals before any launch.The Minister alleged that BJP had spent Rs 17 crore for such rituals during their rule, the Opposition demanded proof and asked him to be “responsible” before making such charges.
Taking a dig at the Minister leader of the BJP, Jagadish Shettar congratulated him for taking BJP’s “line” by following Hindu culture and traditions, which the Congress has tried to stay away from in the garb of “secularism.” Shettar and BJP MlA Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the Government was practising “double standards.”
“When the CM with his rational outlook is propagating the need for Anti-superstition Bill, Patil, who is one of the senior Ministers is performing rituals for rain,” Shettar added. “We are not against performing puja or rituals, every one has right to do it, but don’t follow something and propagate something,” Shettar said.
Intervening, Health Minister Ramesh Kumar said care should be taken that no one crosses the Constitutional framework, while dealing with such issues.