CM Yediyurappa should resign or be sacked to ensure fair probe in 2019 'corruption' case: Congress
New Delhi, Apr 1: The Congress on Thursday demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa either resign or be sacked to ensure a fair investigation against him in a 2019 corruption case wherein he allegedly tried to lure a JD(S) MLA to the BJP by offering him money.
This comes a day after the Karnataka High Court vacated a stay on investigations into the case.
Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said the BJP only talks of morality and cleanliness in politics but does not act against its people accused of corruption.
"Now that the high court has vacated the stay on the probe against the chief minister and ordered an investigation, we feel a fair and independent investigation can only take place if the chief minister tenders his resignation or is sacked from his position," he told reporters.
Now the BJP should solicit the resignation of Yediyurappa and the governor should order an investigation against him, he said.
Shukla noted that the issue was "very serious" and a serious investigation should be conducted.
In its order on Wednesday, the high court vacated the stay on the investigation into the case registered against Yediyurappa in February 2019, when the JD(S)-Congress coalition was in power in Karnataka.
Yediyurappa allegedly offered money to the son of JD(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandkur's son Sharanagouda to lure the latter to the BJP to topple the state government.
Shukla pointed out that earlier, Yediyurappa was also allegedly involved in a Rs 662-crore apartment scam in Bengaluru but no probe was ordered despite the high court giving directions in this regard.
Shukla also mentioned another case against Yediyurappa involving the alleged illegal allotment of 24 acres of government land to private individuals, which incurred huge losses to the state exchequer.
"The government should immediately probe the matter. The chief minister should resign and a quick decision should be taken on this," he said.
Shukla said the BJP has no right to claim that it fights against corruption and preach morality till it acts against its own people who are accused of corrupt practices.
He alleged that the BJP creates a lot of hue and cry even over false charges against others, but remains silent when its leaders are accused of corruption.
Shukla also raised the issue of Karnataka Rural Development Minister K S Eswarappa writing a letter to the state governor regarding the alleged interference of Yediyurappa in his ministry and decisions being taken without his knowledge.
"When a minister of his government makes such serious allegations against the chief minister, Yediyurappa should either resign or be sacked," he said.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
