BENGALURU/YELLAPUR: A day after getting show-cause notices, Yeshwantpur BJP MLA ST Somashekar said he would reply to the notice after consulting his lawyers, while Yellapur BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar denied indulging in any anti-party activities.
Somashekar told reporters on Wednesday that he had neither attended any Congress party event, nor entered the KPCC office. “God has given me strength and I shall fight legally,” he said, adding that his meeting with DyCM DK Shivakumar was official.
“Shivakumar is not just the KPCC president, he is Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister. My constituency comes under him, so I approached him,” he said.
Somashekar said he has met the CM and other ministers at government events, and not at party events. “What is wrong with me going to the government to seek funds for my constituency? The government had called a pre-budget meeting with Bengaluru MLAs, but none of the others attended. I did because I wanted grants for my constituency. I have not caused embarrassment to the party or given a statement against any BJP leader,’’ he said, and rued that “there is no action against those who embarrass the party’’.
Somashekar said the BJP has failed as an opposition party. “The session is not conducted for them to boycott or walk out, but to debate and discuss various issues,” he said. Meanwhile, MLA Hebbar was also critical of the BJP, but it was a veiled dig against his party men. He told the media he might have not done anything for the party, but was not involved in any anti-party activities.
On the show-cause notice, Hebbar said the party high command had asked him a few questions which he has to reply to within a stipulated time. “I have not done anything wrong,” he reiterated. “I have not issued any anti-party statement or participated in Congress meetings. I have suffered injustice and will write to the party high command and explain everything.” Stating that he was silent due to various reasons, Hebbar said he was hurt by developments in the party.
He said some leaders had issued statements against the party president and “supremo”. “Whether somebody provoked them or they tried to save somebody is a mystery, but there is no action against such people. A certain section enjoys top positions, while many just keep working for the party without any benefit,” he said.