We are not anti-Muslims: Former PM Deve Gowda

Bengaluru, 25 Dec 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda said that as there was no difference in Congress party, the coalition government in the state would function safely.

Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Monday, the JDS supremo said that no Congress MLA would resign from their membership. So, the coalition government would not have any problem, he said.

Preparations were being made for the next Lok Sabha elections. They have come together to keep BJP away from power. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has been touring the state to prepare for the election. Discussion was going on regarding panchayat elections in Chikmagalur, he said.

“Party leaders and Congress leaders would expand the Cabinet. JDS was a small regional party. We will also expand the Cabinet, but not now. Our regional party had given various programmes in 1998. Then we had won 16 Lok Sabha seats. But unfortunately, we have only two seats now”, he said.

Leaders have been working to strengthen the party. Every day, Kumaraswamy would discuss the issue with him and party meetings were being conducted after getting his approval, he said.

‘We aren’t anti-Muslims’

“We are not anti-Muslims. It is Janata Dal which brought reservation to women in this country. We have been running the government keeping in mind the political reservation, women reservation and Muslim community. But some people have been branding our party as caste-based party which is not true”.

-          HD Deve Gowda, former prime minister