Shivamogga (Karnataka):  Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj K S Eshwarappa, on Saturday, stirred a Hornet’s nest by stating that there is a limit to patience of Hindus. This is not the first time the minister courted controversy for his sectarian remarks. In fact, he is known for his anti-Muslim mindset.

Eshwarappa’s latest came after his meeting with a BJP worker, Venkatesh, who was attacked by miscreants on Thursday, at the Meggan hospital.

While Venkatesh’s attackers are yet to be identified, the minister has no qualms about giving the incident a communal colour by assuming that he is the victim of some hate crime. Hence the sectarian remark: “There is a limit to patience of the Hindu community. If the limits are crossed, it could lead to a real split in the society.”

What’s all the more intriguing is that he clarified that he was speaking in the capacity of a minister when he stressed, “I am saying this as a minister.” Is openly siding with one particular community not a violation of the oath of office he had taken as a minister?

Though he consciously refrained from naming any group for the attack, in the light of his tirade against Muslims in the past one can safely assume which community he is alluding to. Picture this: “After the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha, the state government has taken necessary measures and arrested all the accused persons. However, the goonda mindset of certain community members has not yet gone.”

“Because of a few,” he went on, “the image of the whole community is tarnished. Community leaders should initiate action on these persons,” he tactfully switches to sermonising mode lecturing the target community. Why would people like him blame an entire community for the actions of a few even after confessing agreeing that “all people of the community are not bad, only a few goondas are indulging in such activities”, he has no answer.

Meanwhile, Shivamogga, after seven days of curfew has returned to normal, but the situation became tense after a gang attacked Venkatesh on Thursday. The police are on high alert and is investigating the case.