Erased line in CM''s wife''s letter to MUDA will be looked into, if necessary: G Paramaeshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid opposition charges of a cover-up and tampering with documents, Karnataka Home Minister G Paramaeshwara on Thursday said the alleged erasure of a line using a whitener in a 2014 letter written by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathi to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) will be looked into, if necessary.
The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA alternative site allotment 'scam'.
"It needs to be looked into. I don't know. They (opposition) have made a statement. The SIT or the investigation agency, will look into it if necessary," Parameshwara told reporters, in response to a question.
In the letter, Parvathi had sought alternative land in lieu of her 3.16 acres on which MUDA had formed a layout.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) claimed that whitener was used to erase a line in which Parvathi specifically sought alternative land in the posh Vijayanagar Layout.
Since the allegations surfaced against him, Siddaramaiah, denying any wrong doing, has repeatedly maintained that his wife did not seek alternative plots in any specific locality.
"The Desai commission has begun its work, in case any one gets such information whether media or from public, they can say it before the commission instead of making public statements and creating confusion," Parameshwara added.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 granted sanction for prosecution of Siddaramaiah in connection with the 'scam’, giving a major jolt to the nearly 15 month old Congress government.
Parameshwara responded to a question on Gehlot using bulletproof car for the first time on Wednesday since assuming office in 2021 and his security being reinforced, amid mounting tensions between the ruling Congress and the Governor’s office.
"We don't know about threat the Governor has, we are not aware as to who told him about the threat perception. He has sought for security, it has been given, which he is entitled to," he said.
Further noting that BJP is protesting seeking Siddarmaiah's resignation, the Minister said, it is their right to protest, but there is no question of the Chief Minister resigning and there is no need for it
On Special Investigation Team of the Lokayukta seeking prosecution sanction from the Governor against JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said it was because "illegalities have happened." "If it (Lokayukta's action) is called illegal, nothing can be said."
To a question on BJP and JD(S) alleging that the government was trying to "safeguard" the CM, he said: "Why does the CM have to be safeguarded? Is he not safe? He is very safe. What has happened to say he is unsafe? If we do one meeting it is being alleged that attempts are being made to safeguard the CM."
"At the most we might do a resolution at a Congress legislature meeting and say that we all stand by the CM. In the cabinet we have said that we all stand by the CM. What's wrong with it?" Parameshwara added.
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Congress’ downfall will start from Baramati if it doesn’t let Sunetra Pawar win unopposed: Bawankule
Nagpur (PTI): The Congress will have to face consequences if it doesn't allow NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar to win the Baramati assembly bypoll unopposed, said minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday.
The party’s “downfall” will start from Baramati, he said, stressing that the people of Baramati and Maharashtra wish that she is elected unopposed, said the BJP leader.
The April 23 bye election was necessitated after the tragic death of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who headed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. After his death, his wife Sunetra became the party president.
The NCP, BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are partners in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state.
“The Congress will face consequences if it doesn’t let Sunetra win unopposed from Baramati. Its downfall will start from Baramati if it doesn’t withdraw its candidate,” Bawankule told reporters in Nagpur.
Amid efforts to ensure an unopposed contest, the Congress has fielded advocate Akash More for the bypoll.
The party had said that it would withdraw from the contest only if an FIR were registered in Ajit Pawar’s death in the Baramati plane crash.
Replying to another question, Bawankule said the BJP’s performance will be more robust in Assam and Kerala elections compared to the last assembly polls in these states. Assembly polls are being held in a single phase in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on Thursday.
“These elections will once again show Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership commanding support among the people,” he said.
