BENGALURU: Political bickering over the crackdown on drugs in Karnataka continues unabated, with Congress and BJP leaders accusing each other of links to the accused. Former Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party Chief Siddaramaiah on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to protect its leaders, while defaming Congress leaders in the case. He also said that the government was attempting to divert public attention from the pandemic.
“The way the drug case is being handled and portrayed by BJP looks like an evil attempt to divert the public attention from Covid & flood mismanagement. BJP Karnataka is trying to protect their own leaders in the drug case and defaming opposition party leaders. We from Congress condemn this,” the former
CM tweeted. His attack on the government came on the day former minister and senior Congress leader BZ Zameer Ahmed met Siddaramaiah, after the BJP accused him of links with drug case suspects.
“If Chief Minister is honestly interested in addressing the drug issue, he should give full freedom to the Police to investigate, & ask his ministers & party leaders not to make false accusations against leaders from opposition parties. Linking politicians in a case based on a photo with the accused is an unhealthy trend. There is no way to know the history of everyone participating in random ceremonies. But inviting them to official meetings & party campaigns demand extra care to check their illegal acts,” he said.
In a series of tweets Siddaramaiah accused BS Yediyurappa of resorting to false accusations against leaders from opposition parties to cover up his government’s failures. “You are doing the same in the drug case also. This does not suit your stature,” Siddaramaiah said.