AHINDA communities warn Congress against unseating Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Nov 27 (PTI): The Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities (KSFBCC) has warned Congress that any attempt to unseat Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the wake of infighting in the state Congress will have a bearing on the party.
A power tussle is going on between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is aspiring to become the next Chief Minister.
Addressing reporters here, KSFBCC president K M Ramachandrappa said AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities backward classes and Dalits communities) is deeply pained to see the development taking place.
He recalled the statement of Karnataka Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha president L Srinivas who had said in a press conference on Thursday that the Congress high command should consider giving ‘coolie’ (token of reward) for the work Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has done by toiling hard to bring the party to power.
ALSO READ: Vokkaliga Sangha says it will fight if injustice happens to Shivakumar
Ramachandrappa said Shivakumar has already got ‘Coolie’ for the work he did in the form of position as the Deputy Chief Minister.
He said even religious heads are also participating in this discussion and are threatening that they will also be part of the chorus seeking removal of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
"These threats are not new ones but have been happening for very long time. Since the independence it has been happening. We the downtrodden community will not bow down to these threats," KSFBCC president said.
Due to these developments, Ahinda is deeply pained, he said.
Expressing his fear, he said, "Those against the caste census can unseat the chief minister, we can only assume how they will behave with our communities".
ALSO READ: No confusion in Cong, party is united, says Shivakumar amid power tussle
He added that they are witnessing the way AHINDA communities are being treated and are getting representation in the government and society.
He said, "If this development continues further, then we warn that it will be problematic for Congress in the coming days. AHINDA category will not sit idly.”
“If the pontiffs and the Vokkaliga Sangha is ready to stage agitation then we will also not leave our leader. The 70 per cent population of AHINDA communities had offered support to this government. We will not tolerate attempts to bring down a leader from the AHINDA community,” Ramachandrappa said.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
