Bengaluru: Disturbed by the controversial statements of Union Minister of State for Skill Development, Anant Kumar Hegde at various public meetings in Karnataka in recent weeks, the state BJP has reportedly appealed to the party’s central leadership to restrain him from making such speeches any more, warning that he could cost the party the Dalit vote in the coming assembly polls otherwise.

The issue is said to have come up at the party’s core committee meeting held at the home of state party chief, B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday. Several senior leaders were said to be upset with Mr Hegde’s remarks on secularism and rewriting the Constitution, which were making the scheduled caste and tribes and other backward classes anxious.

Sources revealed that Mr. Yeddyurappa complained to Union Human Resources Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who are in charge of preparing the party for the coming elections in Karnataka, that the time and energy of other party leaders was being wasted in giving clarifications to Mr Hegde’s statements.

Drawing attention particularly to the Minister’s remark that the BJP had come to power at the Centre to change the Constitution, he said this had disturbed several sections of people, especially the scheduled caste and tribes and other backward classes and could cost the party the Dalit vote.

BJP leader, D.S. Veeraiah is said to have appealed to Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and senior party Jagadish Shettar, to stop Mr. Hegde from hurting the sentiments of Dalits and OBCs by talking about the Constitution in this manner. Later, speaking to Deccan Chronicle Mr Veeraiah said that when Mr Yeddyurappa was trying to reach out to Dalits by having breakfast with them in their homes and inviting them to his house, the Union Minister’s comments were ruining things for the party.

“When the Prime Minister has decided to honour Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the country’s Constitution, by developing the five places he spent time in as Panchteerth, Mr. Hegde’s statement is embarassing the party,” he deplored.