Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed that there is a strong anti-incumbency against the Narendra Modi government.

Calling the JD(S) a "communal party", for having an alliance with BJP in Karnataka, he suggested it is better for its leadership to dissolve the outfit.

"This time, whether it is in Karnataka or in the country, there is no Modi wave. BJP candidates are seeking votes in the name of Modi, they are dependent on Modi. There is a strong anti-incumbency against the Modi government," Siddaramiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, as there is no Modi wave, there is an atmosphere in favour of Congress and INDIA bloc across the country.

Defending Congress' sarcasm-laced campaign alleging that the Modi government's gift to Karnataka was empty 'Chombu' (Kannada word for a round water pot), Siddaramaiah said, "Did they give Rs 15 lakh to every account holder as promised?, Did he create 2 crore jobs a year?, Did he double farmers income?, Did good days come?"

Modi has not fulfilled even a single assurance he had given, he said. "So Modi has given the people of the state and the country an empty 'Chombu'. Let them (BJP) say anything, our (state's) coffers are not empty, we (Congress govt) have implemented five guarantee schemes, and we have continued the developmental works."

Alleging that JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has become "communal" after joining hands with the BJP, the CM claimed JD(S) is no longer a secular party.

"The JD(S) is a communal party. Since they are having an alliance with BJP in Karnataka, it is better they dissolve JD(S)," he said, adding, as BJP and JD(S) fear losing the elections they have formed an alliance to fight Congress, which is fighting independently.

Stating that the murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi is not a case of "love jihad", Siddaramaiah said, he strongly condemns the incident, and the accused has been arrested immediately.

"Investigation will be done seriously and it will be ensured that the culprit is strictly punished," the chief minister said.

In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on Thursday.

The accused, Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently.

Noting that murders have taken place "during all times", the chief minister said the government has taken the issue of law and order seriously. The law and order situation is good in Karnataka. "We will condemn all acts of murder, robbery or anything, and ensure that culprits are punished," he said, as he accused the opposition of using the death for political reasons.

 

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Bengaluru, May 3: The Criminal Investigation Department investigating the sexual abuse allegations against JD(S) leader and NDA’s Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna has registered a case of rape against him, based on the complaint by a party worker.

The CID booked Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, after a JD(S) worker from Hassan lodged a complaint against him.

Besides the rape charges, the CID invoked sections against Prajwal pertaining to voyeurism, disrobing and making videos and taking photographs by threatening the complainant.

In the complaint, the woman said Prajwal had raped her at gunpoint and made videos on his mobile phones. She said Prajwal had taken her to the MP quarters where he perpetrated the crime at gunpoint and threatened that he would kill her as well as her husband, if she revealed to anyone what he had done.

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The accused allegedly forced her to satisfy his lust whenever he demanded, and threatened to make her video public if she did not cooperate.

Prajwal is facing allegations of sexually abusing several women. The state government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating the case.

Scores of explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old MP sexually abusing several women had started making the rounds in recent days.

Prajwal is the BJP-JD(S) alliance's candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held on April 26, after which he left the country on a diplomatic passport.

The JD(S) had joined the NDA in September last year.

The JD(S) leadership has suspended Prajwal from the party.

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