"CM Siddaramaiah's remarks shocking, must apologise": Karnataka LoP R Ashoka

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 26 (ANI): Karnataka Leader of Opposition (LoP) R Ashoka on Saturday demanded an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his remarks on the horrific terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
"At a time when the country is in crisis, the statement made by CM Siddaramaiah is shocking. His mindset of prioritising votes is shameful and condemnable," Ashoka said.
Speaking to reporters, he said that just as civilians celebrating in Israel were killed, terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir have also killed Hindus. "Only CM Siddaramaiah could forgive such acts. His mindset of not caring about the nation as long as he gets votes is disgraceful. He is a person without any principles, only concerned with staying in power," the BJP leader said.
"While people across the country are protesting, CM Siddaramaiah has said that lost lives cannot be brought back. If such an incident had happened to his family, he wouldn't have spoken this way. Speaking so insensitively and then visiting the victims' families, wearing garlands there and making such statements here shows his lack of compassion. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has said they stand with the central government's decision, but here, CM Siddaramaiah is speaking divisively," R Ashoka alleged.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleged further that in Bhatkal, there are around a dozen Pakistani citizens. Despite the central government's instructions to deport them, the state government has taken no action.
"In Kalaburagi, when a Pakistani flag was pasted on the road, Muslim women removed it. There are enemies within our country. Attention must be paid to such betrayers. Hindu organisation activists who insulted Pakistan have been arrested, exposing Congress's true colours," he said.
"Security arrangements are made based on the opinions of the government and the governor. The actions of the Jammu and Kashmir government are crucial. When the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast occurred, what was the Congress government doing? Atrocities and bank robberies are happening here, too. Why has the intelligence agency failed here? We must all speak in one voice, but CM Siddaramaiah is speaking in the voice of vote-bank politics, Ashoka said.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah said that he was not in favour of "war" with Pakistan and cited concerns regarding "security lapse" in the deadly terrorist attack, which killed 26 people.
He called for strengthening security in the Kashmir valley to ensure peace.
"There has been a security lapse in this incident. We are not in favour of war. Steps should be taken to tighten security measures in the Kashmir region. The central government should increase security to ensure peace in Kashmir," Siddaramaiah told reporters. (ANI)