Question to be distributed: As the assembly elections in Karnataka draw closer, the war of words between the leaders of various political parties has intensified. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday lashed out at the Congress after releasing 40 star campaigners including the name of Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi. The BJP claimed that Pratapgarhi, a poet-turned-politician, was a close friend of Ahmed and called the slain gangster his “guru” and brother.
Union minister Shobha Karandlaje, convenor of the BJP’s Karnataka election management committee, alleged that Pratapgarhi used to write poems in praise of Ahmed, who used to participate in his ‘mushairas’.
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What did Imran Pratapgarhi say on the allegations?
In the midst of these allegations, the Congress leader appeared in India TV’s show ‘Sawal To Banta Hai’ and clarified his stand. Speaking on the show, Pratapgarhi claimed that there were attempts to crush democracy in the country and suppress the voice of the people. “The government wants no one to say anything against its dictatorship and forces are being misused against those who speak up,” he said.
Clarifying on the video praising slain mafia Atiq Ahmed, Pratapgarhi said it was a normal event where the former was present as the chief guest and praising him was “a way of creating atmosphere” there. “Criminalization of politics is a different topic… I am a poet and I keep coming across many bullies. It is a normal thing,” he said.
Congress stands by Pratapgarhi
Meanwhile, the Congress has defended the party’s move to appoint Pratapgarhi as a star campaigner for the upcoming Karnataka elections. Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh told the media, “Imran Pratapgarhi is the president of our party’s minority cell and he will come. What’s wrong with that? We are not calling a person who has committed a crime or is behind bars.”