‘Only working to ignite fire, divide people’: Dy CM’s jibe on BJP leaders visiting Maddur after clash

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who are visiting the violence-hit Maddur region, which recently experienced clashes and stone pelting during a Ganapati visarjan procession.

Shivakumar asked the BJP leaders to instead visit Delhi and get approvals for development projects from the Centre and ensure NREGA funds reach the state. “They (BJP) have no other work. Their job is only to divide people. Their job is only to ignite fire. Their only work is to do politics. They have not done any development. Let them go to Delhi and bring NREGA funds, bring tax money”, Shivakumar told reporters at his residence in Bengaluru.

#WATCH | Mandya, Karnataka: Ganesha idol immersion procession begins under tight police security in Madduru following the stone pelting incident that took place three days ago. pic.twitter.com/bJGkn9sI9Z

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2025

“Let them get approvals for Cauvery, Mekedatu, and Mahadayi”, he added. Shivakumar however refused to comment on the Maddur clashes, saying that he does not have complete information because he was not not in town.

“The Chief Minister, Home Minister, and the District In-charge Minister have already given statements. I was not in town. I don’t have complete information. I too have only noticed their statements in the newspaper. I will not speak about it without knowing the full details”, he said.

On Wednesday, the Dy CM is also scheduled to hold a meeting of Bengaluru MLAs, where they will discuss irrigation matters for the city.

Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra slammed the Congress-led government over the clashes. Along with Opposition leaders R Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and  CN Ashwathnarayan, he visited Maddur.

#WATCH | Mandya | Leading a BJP fact-finding committee on stone pelting incident in Maddur, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra says, “It clearly shows how few anti-national elements have been given a free hand by the local administration. Our local Hindus are not allowed to… pic.twitter.com/ifUSKW04Ui

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2025

“It clearly shows how few anti-national elements have been given a free hand by the local administration. Our local Hindus are not allowed to take out a procession before a mosque. What is happening in Karnataka? There is complete failure on the part of the police and the intelligence. When permission for a Ganesha procession was already granted, then why was there no proper deployment of police?” Vijayendra said.

A clash broke out when the Ganesha idol immersion procession passed near a mosque. According to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the crowd was asked not to stay in the area for too long.

On Monday, pro-Hindu organisations held a protest against the reported incident of stone pelting during the Ganesh Idol immersion in Maddur town, Mandya district. A total of 22 people have been arrested following the stone-pelting incident and the subsequent protest which broke out in response. Earlier on Monday, police lathi-charged the protesters in an effort to disperse the crowd. (ANI)