CHIKKAMAGALURU: Opposition leader Siddaramaiah verbally tore into the Karnataka government’s lapses, calling it shameless, illegitimate, a factory of lies and 40per cent government and sought immediate arrest of former minister KS Eshwarappa under prevention of Corruption Act.
Addressing the Congress protest rally organised on Saturday, he said mere FIR against Eshwarappa whose 40% commission demand had been allegedly the cause for contractor Santhosh Patil’s suicide would not be sufficient. The BJP leader should be arrested after booking case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the former chief minister demaded.
Siddaramaiah said that the Contractors’ Association president Kempanna wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7th June, 2021, drawing his attention to rampant corruption and demand for 40 % commission for government works. Till now, no action had been taken on it, he added. “The delay has taken the life of a young contractor Santhosh. Modi boasts of 56 inches chest but what is important is heart of a mother,” Siddaramaiah lambasted.
He said that the BJP came to power in State in both 2008 and 2018 due to Operation Lotus. ‘‘In 2018, Congress and JD(S) MLAs were poached by offering Rs 25 crore each. This showed BJP had no belief in constitution and democracy.’’
Siddaramaiah demanded that the Rs 4 crore pending bill of Santhosh should be settled, `1 crore compensation be given to the family of deceased and a job should be given to wife of Santhosh, Jayashree, a BA graduate, on compassionate grounds.