BJP levelling baseless charges against me as I am pro-poor, pro-Dalits & for social justice: CM
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the BJP of levelling baseless allegations against him as he was always pro-poor, pro-Dalit and for social justice.
His comments came in the backdrop of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting sanction permitting investigation against him under 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and prosecution under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, on corruption charges.
Speaking at a programme to pay tributes to former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi and former Karnataka Chief Minister late Devaraj Urs on their birth anniversary, Siddaramaiah alleged that it was "impossible for the BJP to be with poor, backward classes, Dalits and minorities."
“Congress is always pro-women, pro-poor, pro-minorities and pro-Dalit. Since I am against inequality in the society and pro-poor, the BJP is against me and doing all that which should not be done. That’s why they make baseless allegations against me,” the Chief Minister said at the state headquarters of the Congress here.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP always wants the poor to remain in the same condition, and also not become socially and economically strong.
“(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi says ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Together with all, Development of all). But the truth is, for him it’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash’ (Together with all, destruction of all),” he alleged.
Siddaramaiah has termed as "trumped-up" the allegations relating to irregularities in the allotment of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
In his writ petition challenging the Governor's order in the High Court on Monday, the Chief Minister submitted that it was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India.
Siddaramaiah, who has vehemently denied any wrong doing, said the Governor’s decision is legally unsustainable, procedurally flawed, and motivated by extraneous considerations.
On the petition filed by him, the High Court on Monday passed interim orders directing the trial court to defer proceedings on complaints against him and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken pursuant to the sanction till August 29.
The BJP has demanded the Chief Minister's resignation to pave way for a transparent and unbiased investigation.
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Your letter to PM out of compulsion to market a failed product: Nadda to Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday accused Rahul Gandhi of having a history of abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and OBCs, and of siding with anti-India forces, days after the opposition party charged ruling alliance members with using violent language against the Leader of Opposition.
In a tit for tat response after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Modi over some members of the BJP-led NDA using "extremely objectionable" statements against Gandhi, Nadda cited his party's own litany of complaints against the LoP and other Congress members for their choice of words against the prime minister.
Nadda said Gandhi has a history of calling the entire Other Backward Classes, including the PM, a "thief" and using extremely indecent words against Modi.
"Under what compulsion are you trying to justify Rahul Gandhi," the BJP president asked his Congress counterpart in a three-page letter written in Hindi.
He claimed that Kharge's letter was driven by his political compulsion to market a "failed product" repeatedly rejected by people.
He told the Congress president, "Your comments are far from truth. It appears from your letter that you have either forgotten the misdeeds of Gandhi and other leaders or have deliberately ignored them."
Kharge had on Tuesday raised with Modi the issue of "extremely objectionable" and violent statements by ruling alliance members targeting Gandhi and urged him to discipline his leaders.
In his letter, the Congress leader demanded that strict legal action should be taken against those giving such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating and nothing untoward happens.
The world is shocked that a Union minister and a minister from Uttar Pradesh are calling Gandhi "number one terrorist", while a Shiv Sena MLA announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh to the person who "cuts off the tongue of the Leader of the Opposition and brings it to him", he had said.
Hitting back, Nadda said Gandhi had once spoken of people "beating up" Modi with baton, betraying his "disrespectful" mindset.
His mother Sonia Gandhi, he added, had once called Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, "maut ka saudagar", he added.
He told Kharge in his letter, "You and your party leaders kept glorifying such unfortunate and shameful comments. Why had the Congress then forgotten about political probity?"
In a swipe, Nadda said it might be Kharge's compulsion to defend a failed product and even glorify it, but as the Congress president he should have introspected as well.
He claimed that Congress leaders in the last 10 years have abused Modi 110 times, accusing the opposition party of double standards.
Nadda alleged no leader in the history of independent India was "insulted" as much as Modi was by Congress leaders, citing several objectionable remarks used for the prime minister over the years.
The BJP president asked if the Congress feels proud of Gandhi because he pallies with anti-India and pro-Pakistan forces, and seeks foreign intervention in Indian democracy.
He alleged that Gandhi has repeatedly insulted the Hindu sanatan culture, sought evidence of armed forces' bravery and used controversial remarks for Sikhs.
Naming Congress leaders like Sam Pitroda, Shashi Tharoor, Digvijay Singh, P Chidambaram, K Suresh and Imran Masood, Nadda claimed that Congress leaders did everything to defame the country.
Congress leaders instigated people and regions against each other and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in their programmes, he alleged.
He said, "If anyone has defamed and insulted the Indian democracy the most, it is the Congress party."
Nadda cited the imposition of Emergency, the Congress' alleged support to triple talaq, and claimed that the Congress is selling the poison of casteism and anti-national content from its so called "mohabbat ki dukan".
