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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday clarified that his comments were about the Kerala government's interference in Karnataka, not about Keralites, and said BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar was trying to "mislead people by twisting his statement".
The Deputy Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of "trying to create confusion", and there is a "cordial relationship with Keralites". Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, "There is a cordial relationship between me and Keralites. The people of Kerala like me, have respect for them. I will go there for the election campaign, and our government will be formed there. Hence BJP is trying to create confusion. Let them not indulge in this. Our party leaders have given us suggestions and we accept it." Earlier in the day, Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched a scathing attack against Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the Congress leader's remarks against the people of Kerala amid the Kogilu encroachment eviction row. DK Shivakumar, in a response to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's criticism of the eviction drive, said, "We don't want any Keralites. Let the CM do his job, we will do ours." Hitting at Shivakumar's remarks, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that Congress divides people on the lines of caste, geography, religion, and language. "This Cong 'leader' is exactly what Rahul Gandhi ordered - For a party that talks of Bharat Jodo and the constitution, its politics is about dividing people using caste, geography, religion, language, etc. So by DK Shivakumar's standards of shameless politics, should Malayalees and Indians be saying we don't want Italians and half Italians 'interfering' in Kerala and India?" the Kerala BJP chief wrote on X. Earlier on Monday, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar accused Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan of politicising the Kogilu encroachment evictions, fearing defeat in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the government land at Kogilu, which was cleared of encroachment, he said, "The state government had given the quarry land for solid waste management nine years ago. Some people have come and erected sheds in that land recently. Voters' ID cards had not been issued to people here as they were residing on government land." (ANI)
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