CM Siddaramaiah rejects BJP’s call for CBI probe into Ballari violence
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday dismissed the BJP’s demand for a CBI inquiry into the Ballari violence that left one person dead, questioning the opposition party’s moral authority to seek such an investigation.
Speaking to reporters here, Siddaramaiah said the BJP had never handed over a single case to the central agency during its own tenure.
He termed the demand for a CBI probe now as "politically motivated" and said it lacked credibility.
“How many cases did they hand over to the CBI when they were in power and we were in the opposition? If they didn’t, then what moral right do they have to make such demands?” the Chief Minister asked.
He added, “During my previous tenure as Chief Minister, I gave many cases to the CBI, including the accusation against the then Home Minister K J George (in a DySP suicide case), the lottery case and the suspicious death of Soujanya in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district.”
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On the BJP’s decision to stage a statewide agitation, Siddaramaiah said the opposition was free to protest.
“Let them do it. That is left to them as the opposition party. We will give them a reply, which has to be given,” he said.
Tension prevailed in parts of Ballari on January 1 night after supporters of Ballari City Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and Gangavati BJP MLA G Janardhan Reddy allegedly clashed over a banner installation issue. The situation turned violent with alleged stone-pelting and firing of bullets, leaving one person, a Congress worker, dead.
The incident reportedly began after supporters of Bharath Reddy allegedly installed a banner related to the Valmiki statue unveiling in front of Janardhan Reddy’s residence in Ballari
Reacting sharply to the language used by BJP leaders at a public meeting in Ballari, the Chief Minister said it reflected a lack of culture.
“If they had culture, why was Janardhana Reddy made an external from Ballari? Who turned the district into the ‘Republic of Ballari’?” he asked, recalling that the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde had used the term in his report on illegal mining.
“Wasn’t that due to Janardhana Reddy? This shows they do not believe in democracy but in autocracy. They are rowdies. Do we need to learn any lesson from them?” he said, adding that the Congress believes in democracy and the Constitution.
He also questioned the motive behind organising a public meeting in Ballari. “Other than political gain, what else is the intention?”
Addressing BJP allegations over convening a legislative session from January 22 to 31, Siddaramaiah said it was mandatory for the first session of the year to be a joint session.
He said issues related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were also a key reason for calling the session.
“The objective of MGNREGA is to ensure jobs for people in rural areas,” he said, adding that landmark rights such as the Right to Work, Right to Information, Right to Education and the Right to Food were introduced by the Congress-led UPA government under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“The BJP wants to destroy it. That is why we are convening a session to denounce attempts to repeal MGNREGA by introducing VB-G RAM G,” he said.
On the arrest of an Excise Deputy Commissioner allegedly caught accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe, the CM said his government would not shield anyone involved in corruption.
When reporters pointed to the Excise Minister’s name being mentioned in a purported video, Siddaramaiah said he was not aware of it.
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No confusion in BJP-JD(S) alliance: Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday dismissed speculation over confusion in the BJP-JD(S) alliance, asserting that there was clarity within them and that discussions on the chief minister post were premature.
Addressing reporters at the party's state office, JP Bhavan, after chairing a preparatory meeting for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections, he said the immediate priority was to remove what he termed an "anti-people government" in the state and to strengthen the alliance to face upcoming polls.
"This is not the time to discuss who should become the chief minister. There is still time for that. If we speak about it now, it would be like stitching the cradle even before the baby is born," Kumaraswamy said, underlining that leadership questions would be taken up at an appropriate time.
The JD(S) second-in-command said there is still a lot of work to be done and it was not appropriate to speak about such matters now.
"On the issue of alliance, both I and our party are open-minded. When the time comes, we will discuss it on the party platform and take a decision. There is no confusion regarding the alliance, and there will be no confusion in the future. This is my stand," Kumaraswamy said.
"There is a bad government in the state. My objective is to remove it and bring in a pro-people government. Removing this corrupt and bad government is my agenda. The JD(S) and BJP parties will work together to accomplish this task," he added.
Reiterating his stand, Kumaraswamy said, "My objective is to remove the anti-people government in the state. I have been saying this from the beginning."
On reports of internal differences over the alliance and the CM's position, the union minister said he would not respond to every statement made by individuals.
"Some people are speaking about the alliance and the chief minister's position. I do not feel the need to respond to them. If I start answering each of them, people may think I lack maturity. Therefore, I will not speak about it. We will strengthen the alliance together, face the elections together, and bring a pro-people government," he said.
Kumaraswamy added that discussions within parties were natural and not final.
He said there were still two years left for the Assembly elections while there were four to five months left for the local body elections.
The union minister said the JD(S) is also preparing for the municipal elections in Bengaluru city just as other parties.
He clarified that there had been no discussions so far between the two parties specifically on local body or GBA elections.
Earlier, the JD(S) leader chaired a meeting with Members of the Legislative Council, former MLAs and other leaders of his party to review preparations for the GBA elections.
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