BENGALURU: Congress’ high command has resolved to support chief minister Siddaramaiah on the issue of the show-cause notice issued by governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, with the party declaring that it will fight the accusations politically and legally.
The backing follows a meeting on Sunday between AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala with Siddaramaiah and his council of ministers to take stock of allegations that the CM indulged in corruption to ensure his wife BM Parvathi secured sites via Mysore Urban Development Corporation (Muda) and to thwart political manoeuvring on the issue by the opposition BJP and JD(S), now NDA allies.
Venugopal told reporters after the closed-door meeting that the party will not budge despite the ongoing ‘Mysore Chalo’ padayatra by the combined opposition to press for a CBI investigation into the ‘scam’ and to pressure Siddaramaiah to quit.
“Whatever the allegations MUDA IMBROGLIO and charges are, we will fight it legally,” Venugopal said.
“The law will take its course. We are not scared. Both BJP and JD(S) want to save the political careers of their children and are thus targeting our elected govt. They are trying to permanently tarnish the image of a person (Siddaramaiah) who stands for the poor of Karnataka.”
Venugopal praised Siddaramaiah and said “none can question his integrity and that people are aware of his ideological commitment”. The MP said BJP and JD(S) have been rattled by the Karnataka govt’s guarantee schemes and the serious charges against “children of their leaders” and are thus attacking Siddaramaiah to divert attention.
“BJP and JD(S) are rattled that the guarantee schemes will harm them politically. They have brought certain issues against Siddaramaiah and the Congress govt after cases were filed against children of their party brass,” Venugopal said.
He went on to suggest that governor Gehlot had “unfortunately” become a puppet of BJP, a stand taken by the party.
“Today, Congress party has decided to fight against the conspiracy of BJP and JD(S),” he said.
“Ministers have been told to go to districts and the assembly segments to explain to people the contribution of the guarantee schemes towards their welfare and the conspiracy hatched by BJP to finish the guarantees by trying to destabilise the govt.”
Pull up socks, AICC tells mins
Prior to the meeting with Siddaramaiah and his council of ministers, AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala is said to have asked some cabinet ministers “to pull up their socks or face the axe” in a couple of months.
Sources say the party high command was disappointed with some ministers and have asked them to connect better with the public to lift the image of the govt.
This is said to be the “last warning” . But Venugopal insisted that their visit to Karnataka was not to “review performance of ministers”. “It was solely to tackle political concerns in the state,” he said.
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