Mangaluru : The Sangh Parivar here on Friday condemned the statement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that its affiliates are extremist organisations.

Addressing presspersons, M.B. Puranik, State working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), said that the Chief Minister should withdraw his statement.

He alleged that the Chief Minister used the government programme in Moodbidri on January 7 only to criticise the Sangh Parivar and not to highlight the welfare programmes of the government.

It showed the desperation of Mr. Siddaramiah as he feared that the Congress would be defeated in the coastal belt in the coming Assembly elections, he said.

Mr. Puranik alleged that the Chief Minister was anti-Hindu and following anti-Hindu policies since he took charge.

He said that as elections approached the Chief Minister stated recently that he was a Hindu. Then why did he not meet the senior seer of Pejawar Mutt Vishvesha Tirtha when he visited Udupi on Monday and earlier, he asked.

Mr. Puranik alleged that Mr. Siddaramiah was trying to divide Hindus. “ He was attempting to divide Kurubas and Lingayats to weaken the Hindu religion. But Kanakadasa has received due respect in Krishna Mutt in Udupi.” Alleging that it was a conspiracy by Mr. Siddaramaiah, he said that the Chief Minister should stop such efforts.

Mr. Puranik said that he and other leaders of the parivar met Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy when he visited the city on Friday and submitted a memorandum.

They told the Minister that the VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal were not anti-national. It was not proper to liken the Sangh Parivar with anti-national organisations. The leaders told the Minister that “love jihad” and illegal cow transportation were the reasons for the trouble in the coastal belt and the government should stop them.

He said that the Sangh Parivar has been conducting blood donation camps, managing shelters for cows and orphanages and shelters for women and children.