Gandhi family considers itself 'elite' and above Constitution: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Monday accused the Gandhi family of considering itself a "class apart, elite and above the Constitution" as it kept up the counterattack on the Congress amid the opposition party's nationwide protests against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha.
The ruling party fielded Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to target the Congress and he insisted that neither the BJP nor the government had anything to do with the Wayanad MP's disqualification following his conviction in a defamation case.
The way Congress leaders are making a hue and cry over a judicial and lawful exercise itself shows that they consider the Gandhi family above India's judicial process, Constitution and democratic system, he told a press conference.
The MP from Rajasthan said the Surat court presented Gandhi with several opportunities, including a chance to apologise for his remarks on the Modi surname, but he refused, thinking that the judiciary will not "dare" to deliver a verdict against the members of his family.
The law has taken its course, and neither the BJP nor the government have anything to do with this, he asserted.
The Gandhi family considers itself a "class apart, elite and above Constitution", he alleged. Shekhawat said the Lok Sabha enjoys no discretionary power on the issue of disqualifying an MP in such a matter.
People who claimed that democracy is under threat, are insulting the democratic system with their street protests against a judicial verdict and lawful action, he said.
Noting that Rahul Gandhi had also ridiculed a journalist at his press conference, the Union minister said, "He leaves no opportunity to insult the country and challenge the different pillars of democracy to show himself above them."
"People like him are a threat to democracy as they consider themselves above it," Shekhawat said
It is shameful that he is full of arrogance that he did not even avail the chance to tender an apology even when given an opportunity by the court, the BJP leader claimed.
Shekhawat accused Congress leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh of insulting the Rajya Sabha chairperson with their conduct.
He also accused Gandhi of insulting a patriot and freedom fighter such as Veer Savarkar.
"Rahul Gandhi very rightly said that he wasn't Savarkar. If Rahul actually wishes to know Savarkar, then he must go to the Andaman Jail and spend time there to realise who Savarkar actually was and the kind of sacrifices he made,"Shekhawat said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress standing with CM Siddaramaiah, will support him, says party President Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said the party is standing with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and will support him as he faces a probe by Lokayukta police in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.
Rejecting BJP's demand for Siddaramaiah's resignation, he noted that "neither a chargesheet is filed, nor he is convicted," and said, "let the law take its own course, and when a situation comes, the party will examine."
"When the Godhra incident happened, whether (Narendra) Modi ji had resigned (as the then Gujarat CM)? Several cases were also pending against him at that time, even against Mr Shah (Union Home Minister Amit Shah)," Kharge said in response to a question on BJP questioning CM's moral right to continue, with FIR slated to be registered against him.
Speaking to reporters here, he said: "Don't target a particular person to damage his image, through him the party will also be damaged. Your (BJP) interest is to damage the Congress party, not the individual. He may be here today or may not be, the party will continue. Just to destroy the Congress party and the Congress party's base votes, they want to destroy, that is why they are doing this."
Let the law take its own course, and when a situation comes, the party will examine it at that time, he further said. "Now nothing is there, (but) every day I'm seeing that MUDA, MUDA. Crores of rupees (have been) swallowed by industrialists, Rs 16 lakh crore of their debt have been written off, and now you are taking one small issue and fighting. That too neither chargesheet is filed, nor he is convicted. Every day this is news. I'm fed up seeing all these things."
Asked whether the Congress high command will stand with the Chief Minister, even after the registering of FIR, Kharge said: "that is a hypothetical question. We are standing with him, we will support him, because he represents the party, not (an) individual."
A Special Court here on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case, setting the stage for filing of an FIR against him.
The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.
The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.
It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.
