Mangaluru: The BJP has never focused on development during they rule; instead, they have propagated hatred, spread misinformation, and fueled conflicts based on caste and religion through provocative speeches. We are facing the elections while keeping development of the district in mind said, Dakshina Kannada Congress candidate R Padmaraj Poojary.

Addressing the media people on Wednesday he said, “We have not done anything to spread hate. Fearing defeat, BJP has failed to take up development issue and is engaged in propaganda,” Since 1991, they have been fostering conflict in the name of religion and caste, leading many youngsters to end up in jail and their households in dire straits.

He expressed confidence of winning the elections. The voters of the constituency are fed up with the BJP’s ‘divisive politics’ and are craving for a change, he claimed.

He said, “There is lack of development in the constituency for the past 33 years. The BJP has been engaged in spreading hatred. They are only speaking about Hindutva and PM Modi and not about development.”

He said that he has been receiving overwhelming affection from the people during his campaign.

“The contributions of the BJP MP to the Dakshina Kannada district are zero. All big investments in the district were during the Congress MP’s tenure,” he said.

Padmaraj said, “Owing to the tag of a ncommunally sensitive district, none are coming forward to invest. There is a need to bring back the past glory of communal harmony in the district, which requires support from the people.”

Further, he said that the guaranteed schemes of the Congress government in Karnataka have given strength to people, which will help in his victory.

Sanatana Hindu dharma teaches to respect other religions like one’s own and we have been following the same as a devout Hindu,” stressed Padmaraj.

He alleged that the BJP is using ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to create politics over murders. Padmaraj said that he had to add ‘Poojary’ to his name following a misinformation in a campaign that ‘he does not belong to Billava community’.