Karnataka MLA BK Hariprasad stands by his statement: ‘Pakistan enemy of BJP, not…’

Congress MLA BK Hariprasad warned of moving a privilege motion against news channels that misrepresented his remarks.

Congress MLA BK Hariprasad defended his "Pakistan enemy country for the Bharatiya Janata Party, not for us” statement on Thursday, saying that the BJP was playing dirty tricks and asked the central government to declare Pakistan an enemy state.

Karnataka MLC BK Hariprasad during the state Legislative Council Session, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. (ANI)

He also threatened to move a privilege motion against channels that twisted his statements

"I said Pakistan is our neighbouring state. Let the BJP declare Pakistan an enemy state. The BJP is fully active in playing dirty tricks; whatever I have said in the Council, we have no objection to publishing whatever I have said. If they add masala to that, I think I'll have to move a privilege motion against those channels that have twisted my statements. Whatever statement I made in the Council, I stand by that," BK Hariprasad told news agency ANI on Thursday.

The Congress legislator's remarks came while speaking in the assembly on Wednesday, sparking a stir amid ongoing controversy over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the party's MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hariprasad, in his speech in the legislative council, claimed that Pakistan may be an enemy country for the BJP, but the Congress considered it a neighbouring country

He said, “If at all the BJP feels that Pakistan is an enemy state, the central government should ban all the trade and they should declare Pak an enemy state. Until and unless they declare Pak an enemy state we can't call them enemy state. So they are our neighbour.”

He said in the state assembly, “They (BJP) speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country, it's our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah's mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then?”

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The Congress legislator also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the wedding of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter in Lahore without being invited. “PM Modi went to Pak to attend Nawaz Sharif's grand daughter's marriage without an invitation, breaking all protocols; we have not done any such thing. Whatever I have said, I stand by that.”

The comments from Hariprasad caused a stir amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha.

Karnataka deputy LoP and BJP leader Arvind Bellad said on Hariprasad's statement, “It is extremely sad that a senior leader from Congress, BK Hariprasad, said so. Very unfortunate. We all know what Pakistan has done to India and Indians. This shows Congress' mentality. In order to appease minorities and Muslims, just for votes, Congress can go to any extent.”