Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Friday vowed not to rest until sending Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to prison for corruption.
“Siddaramaiah is afraid to drop ministers D.K. Shivakumar and Ramesh Jarkiholi from the Cabinet. I will send Siddaramaiah to the Central Prison after ordering a probe into corruption charges against him,’’ Yeddyurappa said while addressing BJP activists at a protest meeting in Bengaluru.
He said that it is not required for Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP national president Amit Shah to come to Karnataka to send Siddaramaiah home for indulging in corruption during the last four-and-half years. “Six crore people of Karnataka are ready to send you home in the next Assembly elections,’’ the BJP state president said.
Coming down heavily on Siddaramaiah for misusing the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to file cases against him for a decision taken more than a decade ago, Yeddyurappa said he had to take such decision of denotifying the land for the benefit of poor. “I am not afraid of such cases. I am challenging Siddaramaiah to file 100 more such cases. I want to make it clear that Siddaramaiah should not be under an illusion of me withdrawing the protest if the ACB registers cases against me. I will not stop the agitation,’’ he said.
Questioning Siddaramaiah on what action he has taken against Minister Dr H.C. Mahadevappa’s son for his alleged involvement in illegal sand business. “What has happened to thousands of documents seized from MLA Munirathnam’s building? People want to know what action has been taken against MLA Munirathna. While people in Bengaluru are suffering due to heavy rain, the chief minister is busy in holding talks with Congress high command on Cabinet expansion,’’ he said.
Demanding the chief minister to drop D.K. Shivakumar and Ramesh Jarkiholi from the Cabinet in view of recent raids on their residences and offices by the Income-Tax Department officials, he has described Siddaramaiah’s government as most corrupt government in the country.
Questioning Siddaramaiah for questioning BJP national president Amit Shah for asking the details on the spending of funds (Rs 2,900 crore) allocated by the Central Government, he said any citizen of this country has the right to question on the spending of funds meant for developmental works. “People of Karnataka have not elected you to loot the state exchequer. I will undertake state-wide tour to bring you down,’’ he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar said Siddaramaiah, who did not include D.K. Shivakumar in the Cabinet expansion due to corruption charges against him but later made him minister due to pressure while expanding the Cabinet for the second time. “Now, it has been proved that Shivakumar is corrupt. I demand Siddaramaiah to drop him from the Cabinet,’’ Shettar said.
BJP’s in-charge of Karnataka affairs Muralidhar Rao said the agitation would not be stopped till corrupt chief minister Siddaramaiah is sent to prison. “Congress government is not only against BJP and RSS but involved in the murder of BJP and RSS activists.It cannot be tolerated,’’ Rao said.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje has alleged the misuse of anti-corruption bureau (ACB). “If Siddaramaiah is honest, he has to give freedom to the ACB to file FIRs into Hublot watch and Dr H.C. Mahadevappa son’s involvement in illegal sand business,’’ she said.
Describing Siddaramaiah government as dacoits’ government, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council K.H. Eshwarappa said a huge quantity of money was seized from the residences of Ramesh Jarkiholi and D.K. Shivakumar during the recent raid by the Income-Tax Department officials. “The Enforcement Directorate will collect the details from I-T dept on the seizure of money from the residences of Shivakumar and Ramesh Jarkiholi. Both will be sent to prison soon,’’ Eshwarappa said.
