BJP is with Eshwarappa, he is framed to an extent: Arun Singh
Hospet, Apr 16: BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh on Saturday said the party is with its senior leader K S Eshwarappa, who resigned as minister following allegations of abetting the suicide of a civil contractor, and expressed confidence that he will come clean after inquiry and "will be back".
He also expressed confidence of BJP winning more than 150 seats in Karnataka, during the 2023 assembly polls.
Singh was speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of the two-day BJP state executive meeting here today and tomorrow, which is scheduled to be attended by BJP national president J P Nadda on Sunday.
"Eshwarappa is a very senior leader of the party and he has worked towards the party's position today. We are fully confident that after the complete inquiry, Eshwarappa will be cleared of all charges and will be back," he said, in response to a question on the future role for Eshwarappa in the party.
Singh said to an extent, Eshwarappa is framed as there are various angles to the case, and it is not simple.
"We have to look from all angles. The role of the Congress also needs to be looked into. Congress is a party of conspiracy. Inquiry is going on, let us wait for that. Eshwarappa is our leader...we are all with Eshwarappa, all workers are with him," he added.
Eshwarappa had resigned as Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) on Friday, following allegations of abetting the suicide of a civil contractor.
Santosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa, who is also a senior BJP leader, of corruption. In a purported suicide note in the form of a WhatsApp message, Patil had blamed the BJP leader for his death.
Eshwarappa is not attending the BJP state executive meeting in Hospet, citing personal reasons.
Stating that there is already infighting in the Congress between its legislative party leader Siddaramaiah and state president D K Shivakumar for the CM post, Singh said the people of the country and the state have lost faith in the grand old party and despite all efforts will not be able to win.
Congress is a party of "confusion, conspiracy", he said.
The saffron party's national general secretary also praised Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, calling him a "common man and simple man".
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5 schoolchildren among 7 killed in blast in southwest Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): At least seven people, including five schoolchildren and a policeman, were killed on Friday in a remote-controlled blast in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, according to media reports.
The blast occurred at 8.35 am near a school at the Civil Hospital Chowk of the Mastung district of the province, Dawn newspaper reported.
“It appears that an IED (improvised explosive device) attached to a motorcycle was detonated near a police mobile,” Kalat Division Commissioner Naeem Bazai was quoted as saying in the report.
“So far, seven individuals have been killed, including five school students,” Bazai said. At least 22 people were injured in the attack.
Most of those injured were schoolchildren, Geo News reported, adding that they were shifted to a nearby hospital.
A police van and several auto-rickshaws were damaged in the explosion, according to the report.
An emergency was declared across all Quetta hospitals after the blast, the report said quoting the provincial health department spokesperson, adding that all doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses and other medical staff were summoned.
