In next six months, half the BJP leaders in K'taka will be in jail or run for bail: Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday said half of the BJP leaders in the state will either be in jail or running for bail in the next six months as the Congress government will get to the bottom of the corruption cases of the previous BJP government.
Reacting to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the site allotment scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), he said the Congress did not go for a witch-hunt because its first priority was good governance.
"As a government our first priority is to deliver an efficient governance, not witch-hunt. But yes, having said that, there are a lot of discrepancies in the previous government," Kharge told reporters here.
There are more than 35 cases against BJP leaders and in three to four cases, an interim report has been submitted, the Minister said, adding that the state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team of the Criminal Investigation Department.
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"We are looking at these cases closely. We will get to the bottom of those cases. It takes time. There was extreme corruption in the previous government. We are working on it. And let me assure you again that in the next six months half of the BJP leaders will be running for bail or will be in jail," he added.
The Minister said there are umpteen cases where the role of the Governor has been debated, which has been set in stone and will be put forth before the court.
To a question, Kharge said there is no way BJP leaders can take the case against Siddaramaiah to the logical end because they do not have any evidence.
"The only thing they can do is they can keep the case alive by using the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, and the Governor himself," he added.
Blaming Gehlot for the political turmoil in the state, Kharge alleged that the Governor was a puppet and not a constitutional head of Karnataka.
"Unfortunately the position (of Governor) has been compromised and he is behaving like a BJP Karyakarta," Kharge alleged.
Replying to a question, he charged that the BJP never came to power through people's mandate but stole it. That was the only way BJP could come to power in Karnataka or elsewhere.
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7 held in election-related violence in Assam: Police
Guwahati, Apr 9 (PTI) Seven people were held in connection with election-related violence at two places in Assam, officials said on Thursday.
Besides, minor clashes also erupted at several polling booths after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries, they said.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, told PTI that violence took place in Tamulpur and Sivasagar on Wednesday night, hours before polling began for the assembly elections at 7 am.
"We got reports of a clash between two groups at Tamulpur last night. Police reached the spot immediately and tried to control the crowd. When they did not listen, a few rounds were fired in the air to disperse the mob," he said, adding that four people were arrested from the site.
In another incident, two to three members of a political party were attacked in Sivasagar, the IG said.
"We have detained three persons there. The investigation is going on," he said.
Akhil Gogoi, who is seeking re-election from the Sibsagar seat, alleged that BJP nominee Kushal Dowari was behind the incident.
In a series of social media posts, Gogoi claimed two people were injured, and their vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary said a detailed enquiry will reveal the cause of the clash in Tamulpur.
"The situation is normal now. We are monitoring it, and there is enough security presence to avoid any untoward incident," he said.
Polling is underway for the 126-member assembly to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates. It will continue till 5 pm, with May 4 scheduled for the counting of votes.
A number of minor clashes have erupted at several polling stations in Sribhumi, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.
"Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people fighting over breaking the queue," an official said.
At some polling booths in places like Patharkandi, Merapani and Raha, supporters of ruling and opposition parties clashed, he said.
"However, police were already present in those areas, and the situations were handled instantly. The polling is going on uninterrupted," he added.
The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in these elections, while the Congress is looking to reclaim the state it lost a decade ago.
