Contractor's death: Oppn demands Eshwarappa's arrest on murder charges & dismissal from Cabinet
Bengaluru(PTI): The opposition Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday demanded the arrest of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and his dismissal from the Cabinet following the death of a civil works contractor who had accused him of demanding 40 per cent commission on a contract.
Patil was found dead in a lodge in the coastal town of Udupi on Tuesday with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide.
"Santosh K Patil is a BJP worker himself, has clearly said that Eshwarappa is directly responsible for his death. This comes under the ingredients (of offence) under Section 300 of the IPC warranting punishment under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC," Congress leader Siddaramaiah told reporters.
"Immediately Eshwarappa should be arrested and he should be dismissed from the cabinet forthwith. The Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should not allow him to continue as minister in his cabinet since he is facing the murder charge. It is a serious offence punishable with life imprisonment or death penalty," the former Chief Minister said.
Patil from Belagavi district had earlier alleged that Eshwarappa had demanded 40 per cent commission on the value of the contract work executed by him. The minister not only dismissed his allegations but also filed a defamation suit against him.
In his purported message on social media, Patil allegedly held the Minister responsible for his death.
Referring to a DySP M K Ganapathi who committed suicide during his tenure as the Chief Minister accusing the then home minister K J George of exerting pressure, Siddaramaiah said based on the private complaint, a case was registered and accordingly, George had resigned.
The same precedence must be followed, Siddaramaiah said.
When asked about Eshwarappa's statement that he himself has filed a defamation suit against the contractor, Siddaramaiah said, "What Eshwarappa says is not important. He should be dismissed from the cabinet, a case must be registered and he should be arrested based on what Santosh Patil has said."
The Congress general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that communal passion is being flared up in Karnataka to "cover up rampant corruption" in Karnataka, which is "evident from the instant case".
Later in a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said the "entire BJP is responsible for his death".
"Sequence of events suggest that Santosh Patil did not take the decision in haste. He had written letters to @PMOIndia @narendramodi & @MoRD_GOI @girirajsinghbjp to provide relief from corruption by @ikseshwarappa. The entire @BJP4India is responsible for his death," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
Calling the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka as '40% BJP Sarkar', Siddaramaiah said, "Narendra Modi should be ashamed to coin the slogan 'Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga'. He should limit himself to writing scripts for Bollywood films, instead of running the govt. I am not sure if he is capable to do even that."
Later, Congress activists staged a demonstration in the city demanding the arrest of Eshwarappa and his expulsion from the Cabinet.
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CM, DCM mark 69th Kannada Rajyotsava with festive messages
DCM DK Shivakumar uses Instagram Kannada filter, nominates Speaker UT Khader to continue campaign
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar shared heartfelt messages on X in celebration of the 69th Kannada Rajyotsava, highlighting the importance of Karnataka’s heritage, language, and culture.
CM Siddaramaiah emphasised that Kannada Rajyotsava is a day for committing to the preservation and growth of Karnataka’s identity, encompassing its people, language, culture, land, and water. He wished all Kannadigas a happy Kannada Rajyotsava, expressing the hope that love and care for Kannada would become a daily celebration. “Best wishes to all Kannadigas on Kannada Rajyotsava. ‘Sirigannadam Gelge, Sirigannadam Balge,’” he shared.
ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಎಂದರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಜನ, ಭಾಷೆ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ, ನೆಲ, ಜಲ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಕನ್ನಡತನವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿ-ಬೆಳೆಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾದ ದಿನ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಪ್ರೀತಿ - ಕಾಳಜಿ ಇಂದಿಗಷ್ಟೆ ಸೀಮಿತವಾಗದೆ, ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಬದುಕಿನ ನಿತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವವಾಗಲಿ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 1, 2024
ಸಮಸ್ತ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವದ… pic.twitter.com/bsy0Fm9y2M
DCM DK Shivakumar celebrated digitally by taking a selfie with the ‘Kannada Filter’ on Instagram, encouraging others to join in. He nominated Speaker U.T. Khader to continue this digital campaign, marking it as a small step to spread Kannada’s glory worldwide. “May the lamp of Kannada shine forever, lighting the way for everyone,” he added.
೬೯ನೇ ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವವನ್ನು ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್‌ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಚರಿಸಲು ನಾನು ಇನ್ಸ್ಟಾಗ್ರಾಂನಲ್ಲಿ ʻಕನ್ನಡ ಫಿಲ್ಟರ್‌ʼ ಬಳಸಿ ಸೆಲ್ಫಿ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಯು.ಟಿ ಖಾದರ್‌ ಅವರನ್ನು ಈ ಅಭಿಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಲು ನಾಮಿನೇಟ್‌ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಗರಿಮೆಯನ್ನು ಜಗದಗಲ ಪಸರಿಸುವ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೊಂದು ಪುಟ್ಟ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ.… pic.twitter.com/WsAYDK2d6K
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 1, 2024
