The BJP lost the by-election in Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency as it failed to focus on Hindutva issues, including the important Datta Peetha row, Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Mutalik has said. The party misused the Datta Peetha issue after coming to power in the state and never took a strong Hindutva stand, he said. The BJP won several seats by raising the Datta Peetha issue, but did not keep its word when it came to developing the caves of Peetha.
He addressed a press conference in Bijapur after attending a court case in the city. He said that some BJP leaders are wearing the Hindutva mask without working seriously for the Hindutva cause. The party always used the Datta Peetha issue to win elections, but it did not develop the shrine even three years after it came to power in the state. Mr Mutalik said that none of Sri Ram Sena activists were involved in raising a Pakistan flag at Sindagi and claimed that none of those arrested are culprits. Sene has a strong case to prove that those arrested are innocent, he added. He condemned the Bijapur police for holding Sri Ram Sena activists responsible for raising the flag, and said that a defamation suit will be filed against the police department soon.