Raichur (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday came down heavily on the opposition BJP and the JD(S) for dragging his wife Parvathi B M in the MUDA case, who had never stepped into public life and stayed within her house.

He also accused the opposition of targeting him because they could not tolerate a person from a backward community in the chief minister’s post.

Speaking at the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ (self-esteem convention) in Manvi Taluk, which was organised for the ‘AHINDA’ (minorities, backward and Dalit) communities, Siddaramaiah said the five guarantees introduced by the Congress government last year is strengthening the poor, backward, minorities, women and Dalits by raising their economical and social status, which the opposition BJP and the JD(S) could not tolerate.

"They (opposition) got so frustrated that they dragged my wife, who had never entered politics or stepped out of her house (in public life), on the road. You need to ask (opposition) this question whether this is justified," the chief minister said.

There is mounting pressure from the opposition parties on Siddaramaiah to resign from his post after a special court ordered the Lokayukta police on September 25 to investigate him in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.

Accordingly, the Lokayukta police on September 27 registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others.

The order of the Special Court came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah.

The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the chief minister over the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

The MUDA on October 1 decided to take back the 14 plots allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, following her decision to relinquish their ownership and possession. The MUDA has ordered to cancel the sale deed of these plots, its Commissioner A N Raghunandan had said.

Siddaramaiah asked the audience whether it was wrong to give them five guarantees and also Indira Canteens offering subsidised breakfast and meals, 'Ksheera Bhagya' scheme, 'Ksheera Dhaare' scheme, 'Vidya Siri' scheme and 'Mathrupoorna' scheme.

He alleged that the opposition wanted to tarnish his image and trouble him politically, though he did not commit any mistake.

"They want to topple the Siddaramaiah government for just one mistake, that I belong to a backward community. That’s their (opposition party leaders) heartburn. Can you tolerate this?" the chief minister charged.

"My mistake is that I worked towards giving the backward communities the kind of social freedom B R Ambedkar had dreamt of," he added.

Earlier speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ was not against anyone but to increase the self-esteem of minorities, backward communities and Dalits (AHINDA communities) in the state.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru: A woman in Bengaluru has shared a painful account of how her husband died after they were repeatedly denied medical help and ignored by passersby during a medical emergency, NDTV reported.

The victim, 34-year-old Venkataramanan, a garage mechanic from Balaji Nagar, developed severe chest pain around 3.30 am. His wife immediately took him on a motorcycle in search of medical help.

"He complained about chest pain, and we went to the first hospital. However, the doctor was not on duty. At the second hospital, we were told he had a stroke and to go to another hospital. When we called for ambulance services, they did not respond properly. Humanity failed, but we did our bit by donating his eye." NDTV quoted his wife as saying.

According to the report, after being turned away twice, the couple met with an accident on the road. CCTV footage later showed the woman, covered in blood, pleading with folded hands as vehicles passed by, but no one stopped to help.

ALSO READ: Actress Shilpa Shetty's restaurant booked for breaching operating hours

The wait ended after several minutes when a cab driver stopped and rushed Venkataramanan to a nearby hospital. Doctors there declared him dead on arrival.

As per the report, the family decided to donate Venkataramanan’s eyes, giving sight to others even in death.

Venkataraman's mother, who had lost her last surviving child, had no words to express herself: "I have no words. I do not know what to say. My son is gone."

"The government should understand a health emergency. My daughter is left with two children. Who will look after them?" asked his mother-in-law. His wife, mother, and two children, a five-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter now survive Venkataramanan.

The incident has once again raised serious questions about emergency healthcare access, ambulance response, and public apathy in the city.