New Delhi/Bengaluru, Aug 27 : Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje has demanded an apology from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over his 'Chamundi Hills is not exclusive to Hindus' remark.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shobha Karandlaje said on Wednesday: 'Shivakumar has hurt Hindu sentiments. He chose to do so in order to please the Congress high command and his bosses in Delhi. He created a controversy in the Karnataka Assembly session by singing the RSS anthem. That may have upset his bosses, and they are angry with him.

'To divert attention, he created another controversy by claiming that Chamundi Hills does not belong to Hindus. What does he mean by this? Across the country and in Karnataka, the Waqf Board has claimed lakhs of acres of land, and in land records these have been declared Waqf properties. Farmers are not getting loans, people cannot build houses. Amid this, why has Shivakumar made such a statement about Chamundi Hills'? Shobha Karandlaje questioned.

Lashing out at Shivakumar, who is also the Congress' Karnataka unit chief, she questioned: 'Why is it not a Hindu property? Whom are you trying to please, Mr. Shivakumar? After you sang the RSS anthem, your high command grew angry. Now, to divert the issue, you are making statements that Chamundi Hills does not belong to Hindus. What exactly are you trying to say?

'Chamundi Hills belongs to Hindus, and Goddess Chamundeshwari is the deity of Hindus. We worship her and pray to her. Navaratri is the festival of Chamundeshwari,' Shobha Karandlaje said.

Further criticising the Siddarmaiah-led Karnataka government for inviting Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Dussehra, she said: "How can the state government invite Booker awardee Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Dussehra? Banu Mushtaq does not believe in Goddess Kannada Bhuvaneshwari. For ages, the Kannada language has been equated with Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, and we respect the language by giving it the status of a goddess. Banu Mushtaq does not respect this and has even spoken against it.

'After insulting Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, now Goddess Chamundeshwari has been insulted. In this background, Shivakumar should immediately apologise to the people of Karnataka. We will not tolerate this conspiracy. The conspiracy of Shivakumar, CM Siddaramaiah, and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will not be tolerated by Hindus."

Attacking the Congress-led government in Karnataka, Shobha Karandlaje said: 'Earlier, the police had taken the idol of Ganesha and placed in a police vehicle. This year too, the government has introduced peculiar rules and regulations. Authorities have conveyed that it will not be easy to hold Ganesha festivities and cultural programmes in the state.

'I question the government'why have so many restrictions been imposed on the Ganesha festival? Once a year, people install Ganesha idols, worship them, celebrate, and take out processions. But the government is imposing regulations and curbing their celebrations. The restrictions must be rolled back immediately. Ganesha festival was an inspiration during the freedom struggle,' she said.

/IANS