One candidate asked to withdraw nomination, two others reprimanded
Bangalore: The Loksatta Party, which is set to make its debut in the coming Karnataka Assembly elections promising "clean" politics, has run into trouble with three of its candidates taking public positions that appear to run counter to the party’s stated ideological vision and standpoint.
Phanisai Bhardwaj, the party’s candidate for Bangalore South, has said on his facebook page: "Apolish [abolish] reservation for particular community in education as well as jobs." The comment was on a digitally altered photograph posted by him showing two lanes of a road. One is clogged with traffic while the other is completely free from traffic. The empty road has one man, identified as "SC/ST" walking past the stationary vehicles on the other road. The road clogged with traffic is titled "general."
Mr. Bhardwaj is also part of a group, ‘Centre for Men’s Rights,’ which believes that men are the oppressed sex and fights against section 498 (a) of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises cruelty to a woman by her husband or his relatives.
Rupa Rani, Loksatta candidate for Rajajinagar constituency in Bangalore, has shared a photograph titled "Save the Holy Cow" posted by her facebook friend "Saffron." The photograph shows the seer of the Ramchandrapura Math and Sangh Parivar ideologue Raghaveshwara Bharathi petting a cow.
Embarrassment
Meenakshi Bharath, party candidate for Malleshwaram, has posted a photograph showing Muslim men showering rose petals on a troop of RSS workers clad in khakhi knickers and wielding Lathis (staves). She also posted Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on her facebook profile. Party sources, who wished anonymity, said that Ms. Bharath’s repeated public endorsement of leaders such as Modi has caused embarrassment to the party in the past as well.
Loksatta founder Jayprakash Narayan said that Mr. Bhardwaj’s position on women was "unacceptable." He said: "He is not talking Loksatta language or ideology." Mr. Bharadwaj was asked to withdraw his nomination soon after.
On Ms. Rani’s post, Mr. Narayan said that there are already laws against cow slaughter across the country. "But if you are going to make anti-cow slaughter and vegetarianism into cultural symbols, then it is wrong," he said.
On Ms. Bharath he said: "I don’t think Mr. Modi is an untouchable. The Loksatta Party doesn’t embrace any political party or individual nor does it see them as untouchables."
Party spokesperson Anand Yadwad said that Ms. Rani and Ms. Bharath were asked to remove the offensive posts. "We have told them that they cannot take such anti-party stands," he said.