BJP leader Ashwath Narayan accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Karnataka by improperly treating CM DK Shivakumar, alleging Gandhi pulled his 'jubba' and pushed him aside. He described the act as demonic and driven by an obsession for publicity.

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and MLA CN Ashwath Narayan on Tuesday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's treatment of Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was improper and an insult to the state. Speaking at a press conference at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan in Malleshwaram, Ashwath Narayan said Rahul Gandhi pulled the Chief Minister's 'jubba' and pushed him aside.

BJP Leader Lambasts Rahul Gandhi's Conduct

"He pulled his jubba and dragged him. He has insulted Karnataka. This is not how you treat a senior leader," he alleged. The BJP leader described Rahul Gandhi's actions as hitting like in boxing, using kung fu and elbow strikes.

"Who called you to come to the street? If you need protection, why come to the street with people? If you want to be safe, go by car, sit at home. If you come to the street as a mass leader, you should not elbow everyone," he said.

Calling Rahul Gandhi a man without humanity, Ashwath Narayan said someone has captured the incident well on video. "He hits at a place that can cause danger to life. He is a man without humanity. His behaviour and personality have been completely exposed," he said.

He said the people of the country will completely reject Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. "They are not mass leaders; during Navratri they have shown demonic character. Pulling the Chief Minister's jubba and pushing him back is like insulting the state," he said.

Accusing Rahul Gandhi of being obsessed with publicity, Ashwath Narayan said, "Look at the behaviour of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament. It is clear how much obsession Rahul Gandhi has for publicity. His behaviour is like 'no one should be seen except me'. People have noticed this. Some organisations may protest against it. People of the state will not accept this incident."

Accusations Over Voter List Revision

On the SIR process, he alleged that the Congress and INDI alliance are making baseless allegations and spreading propaganda against the Constitution and constitutional institutions. "The SIR process started from Bihar and is going on well, legally and transparently in various states. It has happened after 21 years. Voter list revision is to ensure one person has only one vote, that one person should not vote in multiple places. Yet, without knowledge and understanding, they are giving statements as they please. It is really deplorable. False allegations are being made without concern for the country's stability to create confusion in society," he said.

He pointed out that there is a Congress government in Karnataka itself and officials under it are going door-to-door. "Rahul Gandhi was going around saying voters have two names, calling it an atom bomb. He says dead people's names are there, fake names are there. Now when names are being deleted during revision, he is complaining. Did they steal documents from the Election Commission? Did they create false documents? They are irresponsible. It seems their intention is that there should be no social peace," he said.

He accused Congress of working for minorities, Bangladeshis and Rohingyas and challenged them to say there are no 25-30 lakh Bangladeshis in the state. "They have given them permanent residence certificates and made them voters. Protecting the nation should be our duty. Forgetting that, making false allegations for your vote bank is not right," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)