BELAGAVI: Commenting on speculation about the possible nomination of a new KPCC president, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi said he was unaware of the criterion that the Congress high command was using. While media reports have mentioned that his and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre’s names are doing the rounds, he claimed he is not privy to any internal discussions among senior leaders.
Regarding Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara not being invited to the inauguration of the Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, Jarkiholi suggested that it may have been a communication gap, and not a major issue. He said he would speak to Parameshwara about it.
Calling the BJP’s protest over price hikes “laughable”, Jarkiholi claimed that the BJP itself had previously raised prices of petrol, diesel, and essentials. “How many times have fuel prices been hiked over the past decade? The increase in prices at that time triggered the current situation. Why didn’t the BJP protest back then?” he questioned.
He explained that the rising population and the need to fund development works have made price hikes inevitable. When asked about protests by the Opposition, Jarkiholi said they should be “scientific” and constructive. He also noted that the newly built Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi now has 70 additional rooms, which will help ease accommodation issues for visitors.
Jarkiholi mentioned that Karnataka does not receive any revenue from highway toll hikes. During a recent visit to New Delhi, he said he could not meet leaders of the Congress high command due to the rush of people seeking Legislative Council nominations and other appointments. Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna also missed the opportunity, although the chief minister did meet with them, he added.
Commenting on the honeytrap allegations involving Rajanna, Jarkiholi said the police investigation is progressing. “Let’s wait for the report. The claims are baseless,” he claimed, adding that he would not like to comment on Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s remarks about the case.