Congress seeks Karnataka govt's dismissal; CM 'quoted out of context': BJP
Bengaluru, Nov 2: The Congress on Saturday demanded dismissal of the BJP government in Karnataka following leak of an audio clipping in which Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa purportedly can be heard mentioning the disqualification of rebel Congress-JDS MLAs and alleged involvement of the saffron party's central leadership.
The BJP, however, said the chief minister was quoted "out of context."
The row erupted just as the BJP government has completed 100 days in office after it was sworn in on July 26 following the collapse of the Congress-JDS government with the defeat of the motion of confidence moved by the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in the assembly by 99-105 votes.
In the clipping that has gone viral, Yediyurappa reportedly is heard saying the dissident Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who were later disqualified, were kept in Mumbai during the final days of the coalition government under the watch of BJP president Amit Shah.
The Congress also urged the President of India to remove Home minister Amit Shah from the Union Cabinet based on the clipping.
The Congress leaders led by Opposition leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao met Governor Vajubhai Vala and submitted a memorandum to this effect.
"We met the governor and demanded that the Yediyurappa government be dismissed.
We have petitioned that the same should be conveyed to the President of India and Amit Shah should be dismissed from the cabinet," Siddaramaiah told reporters after meeting Vala.
Siddaramaiah claimed in the clipping aired by news channels Yediyurappa has stated that Amit Shah had kept all the disqualified MLAs in Mumbai and engineered the defection.
"The clipping makes it very clear that BJP indulged in anti-constitutional activities. Home Minister Amit Shah was behind pulling down the government unconstitutionally, hoarding the MLAs in Mumbai by luring them.
We are not saying this but chief minister B S Yediyurappa himself has admitted it," the former chief minister alleged.
Yediyurappa also purportedly can be heard expressing anguish at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over some leaders' opposition to giving tickets to disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the December 5 bypolls to 15 assembly constituencies.
In the audio tape, he also reportedly hits out at party leaders for lack of support in "saving" the BJP government and not recognising the "sacrifice" of the disqualified MLAs, because of whom they could come to power.
Reacting to the row, the BJP said the Chief Minister was quoted out of context.
"Nobody knows in what context the chief minister had said. He has been quoted out of context," BJP spokesperson Go Madhusudan told PTI.
Such statements hold no good in any court of law as evidence, the BJP leader added.
Wading into the controversy, JDS leader and former chief minister Kumaraswamy said the BJP as a party stood exposed by the clipping as Yediyurappa himself has "revealed the truth."
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Jaya Bachchan raises concern over VIP movements causing road blocks, traffic diversions
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Amitabh Bachchan on Monday expressed concern over the growing menace of VIP culture affecting vehicular traffic and causing inconvenience to people.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour in the House, she said roadblocks and traffic diversions due to the movements of VIPs, including politicians, high-ranking officials, and dignitaries, have become a major source of disruption in the daily lives of countless citizens in the country.
"One has travelled all over the world, but has never seen many VIPs and cavalcades going, but they never stop people on the street," Bachchan said.
She also narrated a recent incident when Rajya Sabha MPs, who leave from Shardula Dwar, were stopped as the main door was locked because there was VIP movement.
"We have never faced such humiliation in the last 22 years of mine in this parliament. We are not a threat to any of the VIPs, especially the political lot," she empahsised.
The SP member further said there are roads along the houses of political "big wigs" which remain blocked.
The MP highlighted that not only common citizens, even ambulances get stuck due to VIP movements.
She urged Chairman C P Radhakrishnan to take up the matter with the government.
"Sir, speak to the government. You are the Vice President of this country...this culture has to stop in order to give dignity to the taxpayers of this country who have brought us into this House," Bachchan said.
