Bengaluru: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the inter-State Mahadayi river water dispute during his speech in Bengaluru on Sunday.
D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister, and Jagadish Shettar and K.S. Eshwarappa, Leaders of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council, respectively, held a press conference on Monday and hit back at the Congress leaders who are taking potshots at Modi.
They said many are criticising the Prime Minister for remaining silent on the Mahadayi row but the BJP doesn’t want to politicise the issue. “The Prime Minister, who had come to the city to participate in a political rally, did not raise this issue for the same reason as it is pending before a tribunal. We should rethink about how appropriate it is for us to bring up inter-State river water disputes at political rallies,” said Sadananda Gowda.
The BJP also took objection to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not welcoming the Prime Minister on his arrival in the city, in person. “It is a violation of protocol and disrespect to the Prime Minister,” an official statement from the BJP said.
