Bengaluru, Apr 27: BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday slammed CM Siddaramaiah for his ‘no war with Pakistan’ remark, saying it is a 'childish' statement and he must apologise to the nation.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa said, "At this juncture, the nation has to stand unitedly ... the issuance of this statement won’t bring dignity to the position of Chief Minister... I condemn his remarks, and CM Siddaramaiah should apologise before the nation, and I also appeal to him to correct his conduct in future."

Commenting on the issue, BJP state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, son of Yediyurappa, alleged that the people of Karnataka are well aware of CM Siddaramaiah’s affection for minorities.

He said, "People know to what extent CM Siddaramaiah will stoop when it comes to minority issues. However, when it is a matter concerning the nation, every self-respecting Indian has condemned the terrorist attack and killings in Kashmir. India has never historically waged war first, but when it comes to protecting Indians, the Prime Minister consults all Chief Ministers and then takes appropriate decisions."

He strongly objected to CM Siddaramaiah’s view that India should not go to war against Pakistan, calling it completely wrong. He criticised it as an "unpardonable crime".

Referring to former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s remarks, Vijayendra insisted that Siddaramaiah must apologise to the people of the country, adding that no one had expected such a statement from him.

Responding to another question, Vijayendra said CM Siddaramaiah had held several rounds of meetings regarding the caste census. He pointed out that the Chief Minister recently convened a special cabinet meeting and that a decision had already been prepared regarding the cabinet resolution. Yet, he said, they were unable to take a final decision, and CM Siddaramaiah must answer for this delay.

Vijayendra further recalled that even former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily has described the caste census data as outdated by nearly a decade and unscientific. He explained that many backward communities, including Ediga and Madivala communities, have raised objections and questioned the data.

The BJP leader stated that there were concerns about the statistics and questioned why Siddaramaiah was in such a hurry.

--IANS

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