Siddaramaiah fumes at opposition for targeting his wife in MUDA case
Raichur (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday came down heavily on the opposition BJP and the JD(S) for dragging his wife Parvathi B M in the MUDA case, who had never stepped into public life and stayed within her house.
He also accused the opposition of targeting him because they could not tolerate a person from a backward community in the chief minister’s post.
Speaking at the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ (self-esteem convention) in Manvi Taluk, which was organised for the ‘AHINDA’ (minorities, backward and Dalit) communities, Siddaramaiah said the five guarantees introduced by the Congress government last year is strengthening the poor, backward, minorities, women and Dalits by raising their economical and social status, which the opposition BJP and the JD(S) could not tolerate.
"They (opposition) got so frustrated that they dragged my wife, who had never entered politics or stepped out of her house (in public life), on the road. You need to ask (opposition) this question whether this is justified," the chief minister said.
There is mounting pressure from the opposition parties on Siddaramaiah to resign from his post after a special court ordered the Lokayukta police on September 25 to investigate him in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.
Accordingly, the Lokayukta police on September 27 registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others.
The order of the Special Court came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah.
The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the chief minister over the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.
The MUDA on October 1 decided to take back the 14 plots allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, following her decision to relinquish their ownership and possession. The MUDA has ordered to cancel the sale deed of these plots, its Commissioner A N Raghunandan had said.
Siddaramaiah asked the audience whether it was wrong to give them five guarantees and also Indira Canteens offering subsidised breakfast and meals, 'Ksheera Bhagya' scheme, 'Ksheera Dhaare' scheme, 'Vidya Siri' scheme and 'Mathrupoorna' scheme.
He alleged that the opposition wanted to tarnish his image and trouble him politically, though he did not commit any mistake.
"They want to topple the Siddaramaiah government for just one mistake, that I belong to a backward community. That’s their (opposition party leaders) heartburn. Can you tolerate this?" the chief minister charged.
"My mistake is that I worked towards giving the backward communities the kind of social freedom B R Ambedkar had dreamt of," he added.
Earlier speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ was not against anyone but to increase the self-esteem of minorities, backward communities and Dalits (AHINDA communities) in the state.
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Priyanka Gandhi questions government's move to sell profitable Miniratna pharma company
Almora: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has raised concerns over the government's decision to sell Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL), a profitable public sector unit. Located in Mohan, Almora, the pharmaceutical company was established in 1978 as a joint venture between the Central and State governments and is known for producing Ayurvedic and Unani medicines.
According to reports, IMPCL, a Miniratna company, earned a profit of ₹18 crore last year and is set to provide a ₹6 crore dividend to the government. It supplies medicines across India and exports them internationally as well. The company employs over 500 people, and thousands of small farmers depend on it for the supply of raw materials and produce.
Priyanka Gandhi criticised the move to sell the profitable unit, suggesting that it contradicts the government’s stance on promoting Ayurveda and AYUSH. “What could be the motive behind selling a profit-making pharmaceutical unit, other than to fill the coffers of select friends by handing over the nation’s valuable assets?” she tweeted.
She argued that the decision exposes the hypocrisy in the government's claim of promoting traditional medicine systems and questioned the rationale behind selling a company that benefits small farmers and contributes to the economy.
