BENGALURU: As Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) are gearing up for their seven-day padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Monday said that they will not give permission for the padayatra.
“If they want, let them do it. We will not ask them not to do it. The police department will not give permission to it,” Dr Parameshwara said responding to a question.
The BJP-JDS leaders are taking out the padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the ST Development Corporation and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The minister said that they had also gone ahead with the Mekedatu padayatra without permission. “Let them do it, we will not stop them. But, we will not give permission to them,” he added.
On the Congress’ plan to counter the BJP-JDS padayatra, the Home Minister said KPCC president DK Shivakumar is working out a strategy. “If they are doing politics, we have to counter it. But, we will not do politics by using the government. We will do it from the party,” he said. Dr Parameshwara said that they have already made it clear that there is no wrongdoing in the allotment of sites by MUDA, but since they have made the allegations, a judicial commission has been constituted.
BJP MP demands Siddaramaiah’s resignation
BJP MP Lahar Singh said he would resign if his charges of looting of welfare funds by Congress leader were proved wrong by impartial enquiry. During his speech in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the Union budget, Singh called for the immediate resignation of CM Siddaramaiah. The BJP MP alleged that the Valmiki Development Corporation funds were diverted and received by the Congress in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, including Congress leaders in New Delhi. If an impartial inquiry is conducted, it would reveal the true extent of this illegal diversion, he said and added that he would resign as an MP if the probe proved his claims wrong.