Bengaluru, Sep 10 : The Karnataka BJP on Wednesday slammed the Congress-led government in the state over the Ganesh Visarjan violence in Maddur town of Mandya district.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday, BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra asked, "Are we living in Pakistan or India? The Congress-led government is creating such an atmosphere. On the other hand, CM Siddaramaiah claims that the BJP is responsible for spoiling the atmosphere in the state. Only God can save him."

Vijayendra claimed that Bajrang Dal activists are not allowed to enter Chitradurga.

Sharing that he, along with his MLAs, will visit Maddur on Wednesday, Vijayendra said, "We will try to ascertain the facts and also assure Hindu activists and leaders of our support. This is an inevitable situation. The state government should take responsibility for the existing situation in the state where peace is disturbed."

Since the Congress-led government came to power in Karnataka, Hindus have not been able to celebrate the Ganesh festival in peace, the BJP leader claimed.

On the Bhadravathi Congress MLA expressing his desire to be born as a Muslim in his next life, Vijayendra said: "Why does the Congress leader want to wait? He should adopt Islam immediately."

The BJP leader criticised the Congress leaders for blaming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders for "publicity".

"Whenever Hindu activists are targeted and humiliated, whenever the state government initiates anti-Hindu steps and demeans Hindu culture, the BJP is duty-bound to side with Hindu activists, and we will continue to do so," he said.

On the violence, he said, "If hundreds of people took shelter in a mosque with a pile of stones, the Police Department has totally failed."

Meanwhile, the police have arrested 22 people in connection with the stone pelting incident and launched a hunt for seven more accused.

/IANS