
HUBBALLI: The Congress has slammed the BJP-led Union Government over the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for attaching 142 immovable properties worth Rs 300 crore as part of its investigations into the MUDA row.
Addressing the media in Hubballi on Saturday, AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjwala said that the ED’s move was a “fearful reaction by the Modi government to the overwhelming public response to the upcoming ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bheem, Jai Samvidhan’ rally in Belagavi as part of the Gandhi Bharat programme.
Surjewala, who is in-charge of the party’s Karnataka affairs, said that the ED’s action was baseless and driven by the Centre’s fear of the rally calling for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, according to Congress, had insulted Dr BR Ambedkar.
Earlier, Surjewala and DK Shivakumar met party leaders from Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttara Kannada districts and discussed with them bringing party workers to the Belagavi Gandhi Bharat rally. Shivakumar said that close to 70,000 Congress workers were expected to take part in the rally from these four districts.
When asked if the ED was targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the MUDA row, Surjewala said, “The character and history of the BJP is to indulge in vendetta politics. Moreover, anger, revenge, and violence are the catchwords of BJP. That is why they are attacking Congress leaders for raising the public voice.”
He said the BJP earlier attacked several senior Congress leaders like Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and others. “Now, they are attacking Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar. Their attack will not deter Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar or any other Congress leader and worker. The BJP can do whatever they want to do... but ultimately the truth will prevail,” the Congress leader added.
Defending the Congress’ decision to fight the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls without aligning with the Aam Aadmi Party, a constituent of the I.N.D.I.A. block, Surjewala said, “We (Congress) believe that it has given the best model of governance to Delhi during the 15-year tenure of Sheila Dixit. But after that, Delhi was pushed into a bad shape, engulfed in pollution and slums, too, mushroomed. Both the AAP and Modi governments are responsible for such a sorry state of Delhi,” he said.
Surjewala emphasised that the Congress aims to offer a better alternative for Delhi’s development and would continue to fight for the city’s better future. Surjewala made it clear that the decision to contest independently was the Congress’ prerogative and it would not be swayed by critics. On a potential tie-up with AAP in the next Lok Sabha elections, Surjewala said that the Delhi Assembly and General Elections are different.