BENGALURU: All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday, while alleging that BJP is targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case to damage Congress, clarified that the party will have to move on irrespective of Siddaramaiah being the CM.
A few hours before the Lokayukta police filed an FIR against Siddaramaiah, Kharge defended the CM, saying Siddaramaiah need not resign in the case as no charges have been proved against him as yet in the MUDA case.
“When the Godhra incident happened, did Prime Minister Narendra Modi resign? Around the same time, several cases were pending against Amith Shah. Don’t target an individual to damage his image. Their intention is to damage Congress, not the individual. Siddaramaiah may be here today or may not be in the CM post, but the party will continue. Just to destroy Congress and its vote base, BJP has conspired,” he analysed.
“Let the law take its own course. When the situation comes, we will examine at that time. Now there is nothing against Siddaramaiah. I am fed up with the MUDA issue being raised by the opposition every day,” he said.
He said MUDA is too small an issue compared to the BJP government at the Centre writing off Rs 16 lakh crore debts of a few industrialists. “Crores of rupees are being swindled by industrialists, but you (BJP) are fighting over a small issue. Neither the chargesheet has been filed against Siddaramaiah, nor has he been convicted,” he said.
Asked if the party high command continues to stand with Siddaramaiah even if the FIR is filed against him, Kharge hit back, saying it is a hypothetical question. He clarified that the party will continue to stand by its beleaguered leader not as an individual but as he belongs to the party. “We are standing with him and will support him as he represents the party, not as the individual,” he clarified.
On Prime Minister Modi’s allegation that the Congress government in Karnataka has diverted the grants meant for Dalits, Kharge shot back saying he will reply to Modi only at the Haryana Assembly poll ground.
