HUBBALLI/GADAG : Taking a serious exception to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet’s ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ protest, Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Saturday termed it an intimidating tactic by the state government following Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah.
Talking to media persons here on Saturday, Joshi said that instead of seeking an apology, Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and their cabinet colleagues have come out with Raj Bhavan Chalo. “This is to cover up their misdeeds as they fear investigation. Siddaramaiah and other Congress members have committed a grave mistake by getting sites allotted to their kin. They should apologise,” he said. “Why is the CM afraid of an investigation in the MUDA scam if he is confident that he has not committed any mistakes,” he asked.
He said like in the case of then chief minister BS Yediyurappa when the then governor sanctioned prosecution, the present governor too has given approval for prosecution in the MUDA case. “Didn’t Yediyurappa face the investigation? Didn’t he resign,” Joshi asked, demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation.
Further, he charged that instead of working for public good, the Congress government is busy indulging in political theatrics. People of the state have given Congress 136 seats, expecting welfare, protection of their interests and development. “But everybody in the government, including Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, are struggling to retain their chair. It is high time that those in government introspected,” he added.
“BJP has no aim or intention to topple the Congress government in the state,” he clarified. Joshi said that while several parts of Karnataka have been hit by heavy rain, damaging crops, and crippling people’s lives, the state government appears to be unperturbed.
He alleged that despite the Centre approving procurement of green gram, sunflower, black gram and soybean directly from farmers under the price support scheme, the Karnataka government has not taken any initiative in this regard.