Vijayapura: Taking strong exception to the ongoing controversies over Hijab, Halal meat and forcing Muslim traders not to do business near temples, Prakash Rathod, the Chief Whip of the Legislative Council has said that since the ruling BJP has achievements of developments in its credit, the party has been deliberately raking up controversial issues to hide its failures.

Addressing media persons at the Congress party office on Monday, he said that such unnecessary issues are only aimed at dividing the society along religious lines and creating some vote bank.

“But the BJP has forgotten that in the process of doing so, they are severely damaging the image of brand Karnataka which has made in the world in the IT/BT sector”, he said.

Referring to the recent tweet of industrialist Kiran Shaw who has expressed displeasure over the communal incidents taking place in the State, Rathod has said that the BJP government must do course correction to retain the brand Karnataka image.

Rathod claimed that already a few companies which were planning to establish their firms in Karnataka, have shifted to Tamil Nadu because they feel that Karnataka no longer has a conducive atmosphere for setting up new mega enterprises.

Referring Halal meat controversy, he said that Karnataka is known for religious harmony, but the organizations supported by the ruling BJP government are destroying it by raising issues such as Halal meat.

To a question, he said that recently a delegation of Congress met the Governor to convey the message on the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.

Criticizing Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai for giving free hand to trouble mongers in the name of protesting religion, Rathod said that it was never expected from Bommai, who has come from a Socialism background to become a complete puppet in the hands of RSS.

“ His father, late. S. R. Bommai had given good administration and he never played communal politics. But today, his son has disappointed everyone who was hoping for a good administration from Bommai”, he said.

On the issue of development of the district, Rathod alleged that projects such as 24/7 drinking water are still limping in the city even after years.

He said that he raised several issues during the recently concluded session on pending development projects of the district, but the government did not give any satisfactory reply.

On the allegations of Minister M. P. Renukacharya the political secretary of the CM obtaining a fake SC certificate for her daughter, Rathod demanded the government launch legal action against him.

The government should also withdraw all benefits that have been availed by him or his family members through fake SC certificates.

“ It is not only shameful but an anti-constitutional incident that a ruling party MLA of upper caste has obtained a fake SC certificate for his daughter “, he charged.