People Want Development, BJP Stokes Hindu-Muslim Conflict in Coastal Karnataka
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We have reached beautiful Uttara Kannada in coastal Karnataka. In the town of Bhatkal, we speak with a local BJP representative and with residents about the history of Hindu-Muslim relations in the region. Anantkumar Hegde, the sitting BJP MP of Uttara Kannada, is infamous for his anti-Muslim remarks – the BJP has stoked Hindu-Muslim conflict for electoral gain in the region since the 1990s.
The current, polarised state of affairs, residents say, are a far cry from the Hindu-Muslim harmony the region used to enjoy before 1990. There is consensus amongst locals that not much development has taken place in the region during Hegde's tenure – whether that dissatisfaction will translate into votes for the opposition parties remains to be seen.
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