In elections, the question that is usually posed by the voters is ‘why should I vote for party X or candidate Y’. There is also a need to delve into the question, ‘why we should not vote for certain parties’. Before I get into the political scenario of Karnataka, I would like to take a short detour.
Lessons from Badami for present-day Karnataka
In his final days as a CM, Siddaramaiah has ditched Tipu Sultan and hugged Pulakeshi in order to pose himself as a ‘South Indian’ ruler. It is indeed amusing to see this tilt towards a Hindu king by Siddaramaiah. 
In July 2017, I visited Badami (as a tourist/history buff), the high profile constituency from where the current chief minister Siddaramaiah is contesting in the current assembly election. National media doesn’t highlight the pathetic infrastructure in this important historical site. In all likelihood, the situation is more or less the same today. But that is a conversation for another day.
One of the most striking historical remains in this tiny town is the cave temples. These cave temples were carved out between 6th to 8th century AD. Among the four cave temples, two are dedicated to Vishnu, one for Shiva and another for Jainism. The guide told me that it was a sign of harmony among all sects and religions under the rule of Chalukyas. But the most disturbing aspect is that none of the temples has the idol intact. Some of them had been used as a residence for people until ASI ordered them to vacate these temples. 
In the nearby sites of Pattadkal (a UNESCO world heritage site) and Aihole as well all temples except one are dead (read destroyed). Who destroyed them? The guides informed that most of the temples had been destroyed after the fall of Vijayanagara empire, which was ruling the region. The destruction of hundreds of temples in Badami, Pattadkal and Aihole are not attributed to any single ruler. The clue to one of the possible suspects is available close to the cave temples of Badami.
The remnants of the civilisational battle are there for everyone to see in Badami and nearby Pattadkal and Aihole. A similar battle is on in Karnataka today. One that is extremely important for future generations of Karnataka. The Congress has decided to break Hinduism with the Lingayat card and cosy up to extremist Islamic organisations like SDPI and PFI.
The shameless celebration of bigoted rulers like Tipu Sultan has highlighted the extent to which Siddaramaiah and Congress can go to stay in power. The pertinent question for Karnataka is, does it want to become like Badami, a place where Hinduism is reduced to ruins?
Why Karnataka should vote out Siddaramaiah and Congress
Karnataka, in my recent memory, I have seen following CMs. Among these SM Krishna and Siddaramaiah are the only two CMs to have completed a five-year term.
- SM Krishna
- Dharam Singh
- HD Kumaraswamy
- BS Yeddyurappa
- DV Sadananda Gowda
- Jagdish Shettar
- Siddramaiah
One cannot deny that BJP squandered its mandate in 2008 and lost the confidence of people due to infighting and corruption. Corruption has occurred in all governments. Caste rivalry, factional fights have been prevalent in Karnataka politics irrespective of the party in power. However, the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah has breached all limits of decency and imported dangerous precedents into Karnataka politics.
- Siddaramaiah has increased tension between castes and different religions because of his policies like caste census and increase in the upper limit for reservations. Government officials are police officers are being divided into caste lines. Supreme court struck down caste based promotions of the government recently
- Siddaramaiah’s tacit understanding between terrorist groups like SDPI and PFI. Tipu Jayanti and Bahmani Utsav being used an instrument to appease vote banks.
- Unprecedented political killings in the state. The target of these assaults is BJP karyakartas and supporters.
Karnataka is witnessing state sponsored terrorism under @siddaramaiah‘s rule. Speaking on the murder of BJP karyakarta Santhosh, Home Min justified the killing by saying “Wasim ONLY pierced him with a screw driver”. The Home Min speaks in the insensitive language of taliban. pic.twitter.com/Eo9mklB1nN
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) February 2, 2018
- Mysterious deaths of civil servants/government officers. This includes Anurag Tiwari and DySP Ganapathy. Ganapathy, in a video, said that higher officials and the home minister George would be responsible if anything should happen to him in future. The attack on Lokayukta was another low under the Congress government.
Q2: Dear Mr #10PercentCM @siddaramaiah, what action have you taken against @thekjgeorge who is the first accused in CBI FIR in DySP MK Ganapathy suicide case? Why are you standing by such a minister? What merit can your cabinet boast of with such tainted people in it?#Dare2Answer pic.twitter.com/siwYmeKmTX
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 6, 2018
Lastly, for the sake of elections, he has given support to Lingayat factions who want a separate religion. This is the biggest assault on Hinduism by any leader in recent times. Tactics adopted by Siddaramaiah for political gain are alien to the ethos of Karnataka.
The malicious intent behind Congress’ politics is blatantly visible. If it succeeds fully or even partially, it will serve as a model for others to emulate. Therefore, the Siddaramaiah led Congress government and their brand of politics must be rejected completely to save the state from irreversible damage.
