Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said there is no communal issue in Karnataka. He was reacting to Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's March 31 tweet in which she had requested Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resolve the "growing religious divide" in the southern state.
"Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has tweeted on many issues & has been proven wrong. There is no issue in Bengaluru that is beyond the reach of govt. CM has said that those who violate the law will be investigated & prosecuted. Bengaluru is a cosmopolitan city," Rajeev Chandrasekhar told news agency ANI.
Accusing the rivl parties, he added, "There's no communal issue in Karnataka, there are some elements who try & create some trouble. These narratives are created by parties like Congress before the elections, to distract from their political irrelevance, they keep dragging such issues."
Earlier, Mazumdar-Shaw had urged Karnataka CM Bommai to resolve this "growing religious divide". Her tweet came in response to right-wing groups in Karnataka intensifying their call to boycott buying halal meat and Muslim merchants from carrying out business within temple premises and religious fairs.
Taking to Twitter, she said: "If IT-BT becomes communal, it would destroy our global leadership. Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must now allow such communal exclusion."
After her tweet, Bommai had called upon all sections of society to observe restraint before going public on social issues, as they can be resolved through discussions.
He said Karnataka is known for peace and progress and sought cooperation from everyone in maintaining it, as Mazumdar-Shaw, while pointing out that the State has always forged inclusive economic development, expressed worry that if IT/ BT sectors became communal it would destroy its global leadership.
Responding to a question on the tweet, Bommai had said, "Several issues have come up for discussion in the State, the issue on uniform for students has been decided by the High Court. On other issues my appeal to those concerned is that we have been leading our lives all these years, based on our beliefs. Everyone should cooperate in maintaining peace and order."
"Karnataka is known for peace and progress, and every one should observe restraint and see to it that it is not affected. When social issues arise, there is a possibility for us to discuss and resolve it. So before going public, everyone should observe restraint," he added.
