No need for moral lessons from MLA Sunil Kumar, says Karnataka minister Laxmi Hebbalkar; defends anganwadi record, blames BJP for distraction protests

UDUPI: Women and Child Development minister and Udupi District minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on Friday dismissed criticisms made by MLA Sunil Kumar, stating that he lacks the moral authority to lecture others.“There is no need to learn moral lessons from MLA Sunil Kumar. What does moral authority even mean? Let him first understand morality before lecturing others," said Laxmi Hebbalkar.The minister was responding to Sunil Kumar’s allegation that Hebbalkar lacked moral rights to speak on activist Chakravarthy Sulibele. She questioned, “What does he mean by saying the district minister lacks moral rights? Sunil Kumar speaks well but seems to believe he alone holds all the wisdom and others are fools,” she said.When asked about the number of Anganwadi centres under her department, the Minister responded, “There are around 69,000 Anganwadi buildings in the state, of which about 12,000 are rented. Do I need to speak everything about Sunil Kumar? You are asking about my department? Come, I will give you all the details,” she said.She added, “I know exactly how many Anganwadis there are in the state, how many Anganwadi workers are there, how many are functioning from rented buildings, how many are govt-owned, how many are in rural areas, how many in towns, and how many are in poor condition.

I even know how many are in your (Sunil Kumar's) constituency.”Protest is a Constitutional Right“Protest is a constitutional right. If the opposition has nothing else to do, let them protest. The central govt is being unfair when it comes to development. Let them protest against the injustice by the central govt. NREGA funds were not released. Can they protest about that? The BJP is trying to mislead the public and are protesting to cover up internal party conflicts.

This is all BJP’s drama. Even BJP workers are tired. Wherever you go, they express dissatisfaction with their leaders. These protests are just a distraction tactic to blame the Congress,” she alleged.Government Not Targeting AnyoneOn Hindu leaders being targeted and externed, particularly Hindu leader Srikanth Shetty, the Minister said, “We are not targeting any intellectual or orator. It is important to protect communal harmony in society. No attempt should be made to divide the society. One must review Srikant Shetty’s past speeches and the truth will be out,” she said.