BJP’s ‘Save democracy’ campaign begins in Karnataka’s Kolar

BJP workers taking out a padayatra in Kolar on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Save democracy and reject anarchy” campaign, which has been launched across the country to counter the Congress campaign against the Special Intensive Revision, kickstarted in Karnataka from Kolar on Tuesday.

The BJP campaign’s central coordinator and party State in-charge Harish Dwivedi spearheaded Tuesday’s protest that involved a padayatra attended by prominent State leaders including former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, State president B.Y. Vijayendra and Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of the legislature R. Ashok and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Dwivedi told presspersons that instead of trying to introspect on the reasons for poll debacles, the Congress had made it a habit to blame the Election Commission of India or EVMs soon after every poll.

He maintained that the ongoing SIR process was nothing new. “This was in practice during the time of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi too. SIR is nothing but cleaning the electoral rolls with corrections as some people would have shifted and there would be deaths,” he said.

Speaking at the rally, Mr. Yediyurappa alleged that the Congress had conspired to topple the democratic system itself in India. He said the BJP would create awareness in this regard through this campaign. He said the BJP-JD(S) combine was bound to form its government in the State after the 2028 Assembly polls.

Mr. Vijayendra said the party was trying to create awareness against anti-national forces that were trying to destabilise the country. Mr. Ashok remarked that the Congress was just blaming the EVMs and SIR for its poll debacles though it had lost them due to its failure to take up development works.

He alleged that the Congress, the CJP and the Aam Aadmi Party had decided to create chaos across the country. “They are trying to seize power by undermining democracy, but this will bring them no benefit,” he alleged.

The BJP leaders are taking out a padayatra in Chitradurga as part of the campaign on Wednesday.