New Delhi [India], January 4 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar arrived at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital on Wednesday.

Dy CM Shivakumar told ANI that they have come to attend a party meeting. "We have a preparatory meeting of the party... We have come to attend the meeting," he said.

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Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah told reporters that the meeting is scheduled for Thursday to discuss the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "I'm going to Delhi today. I, along with DK Shivakumar, have a meeting tomorrow, and most likely, we will discuss the Parliamentary elections," the Karnataka Chief Minister had said while speaking to reporters at his Home Office Krishna in Bengaluru.

He also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for "politicising" the arrest of a Karsevak (volunteer) in Hubballi and said that his government would not indulge in politics of hatred.

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"Don't we need to punish those who have done wrong? Are they (BJP) protesting, saying that they shouldn't be punished?" Siddaramaiah asked.

The Karsevak, Srikanth Poojari, was arrested recently for his alleged involvement in violence after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. The arrest was made in a long-pending case, and the police said that it was a routine process to trace accused persons in such cases.

However, the BJP, over the arrest, protested across the state and accused the state government of arresting workers of Hindutva organizations at a time when the Ram temple in Ayodhya was being inaugurated. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)