Bengaluru: A senior Muslim leader from Karnataka severed ties with the Janata Dal (Secular) after the party joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and announced an alliance with the saffron party for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Syed Shafiullah Saheb, who held the post of vice-president of the JD(S) Karnataka unit, quit the party after the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led party joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this week.
Explaining his decision to quit the JD(S) after over three decades, Syed Shafiullah stated that his former party joined hands with a party that divides people on the basis of religion and caste and his conscience would not let him join such an association.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: On his resignation from the party, JDS Karnataka Vice President Syed Shafiulla Saheb says, "I was with the party for the past 30 years. Our party stand on secular credentials, and we have always propagated the principles of Secularism to the voters, and to the… pic.twitter.com/S2okhgTmA0
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023
“I was with the party for the past 30 years. Our party stand on secular credentials, and we have always propagated the principles of Secularism to the voters, and to the general public. Now if my party is joining hands with a party which creates a rift between the communities and caste…which preaches and propagates and acts on a communal agenda, we the secular leaders oppose it,” Shafiullah told news agency ANI.
Following his resignation from the JD(S), Shaifullah on Sunday lashed out at the BJP for “maintaining silence over the situation in Manipur which saw violence”.
Highlighting the difference between the ideologies of the JD(S) and BJP, he said, “I have resigned from the JDS party following its decision to form an alliance with the BJP .The ideology of the JD(S) and BJP, which is based on Hindutva, are different”.
He also slammed the Centre over ethnic clashes in the BJP-ruled state of Manipur since May.
“What happened during riots in Manipur..? There is a BJP government, both at the State and Center. Violence broke out under the nose of the BJP government. But the government went in silent mode and did not face it”.
JD(S) joins NDA
The JD(S) on Friday formally joined the NDA after its leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in Delhi.
“I am happy that JD(S) has decided to be the part of National Democratic Alliance. We wholeheartedly welcome them in the NDA. This will further strengthen NDA and vision of Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for New India, Strong India,” Nadda wrote on X after the meeting.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah “warmly welcomed” the JD(S) to the NDA fold and said that the south-based party has expressed its trust in PM Modi’s vision of a developed India.
“Met former Karnataka CM and JD (S) leader Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy Ji along with BJP President Shri JP Nadda Ji. Expressing their trust in PM Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of a developed India, the JD(S) has decided to be a part of the NDA. I warmly welcome JD(S) to the NDA family. Their association will lead Karnataka on the path of development and pave the way for a stronger NDA and a stronger India,” Shah wrote on X.
Kumaraswamy said the alliance with BJP “has been sealed and discussions will continue on seat sharing”.
The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP sweeped 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from Mandya constituency.
On the other hand, the Congress and JD(S) only managed to secure a single seat each.
(With inputs from agencies)
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