Tumkur: Congress Launches Awareness Drive – Siddu Vows to Jail CM

Daijiworld Media Network – Tumkur (SP)

Tumkur, Jun 16: Former deputy Chief Minister and leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Siddaramaiah, warned that state chief minister, Yeddyurappa, will be sent to jail if the Congress is elected to power in the state in the coming election. He was addressing the gathering at the inaugural function of the 60-day-long awareness drive at Kora in the district on Wednesday June 15. The drive has been initiated at the national level by the party to spread information about the achievements of the union government and follies of the opposition parties.

It may be recalled that in 2004, Siddaramaiah had vowed to send the then Chief Minister, S M Krishna, and his cabinet colleagues to jail, if the JDS rose to power. S M Krishna had responded in equal measure, by saying that he was getting the jails spruced up to go there. Siddu later became the deputy Chief Minister in the ministry formed by JDS with Congress help. He seemed to have forgotten his words then. Krishna, who became Maharashtra Governor then, happens to be the union minister now.

“The electorate might be asked to choose a new government any time. If the people give mandate to our party, we will surely investigate the misdeeds of Yeddyurappa and his cabinet colleagues, and send the corrupt people to jail,” he announced. He also criticized Yeddyurappa for saying at several forums that the former is jealous of the latter’s progress, and that he had been engaging in malicious campaign against the CM, unable to appreciate the state’s progress. “What development he is speaking of? Allotting site to his son, or collecting donation of Rs 40 crore from Jindals to legalise the bribe received through Prerna Trust?” he questioned.

Former Goa Chief Minister, Luizinho Faleiro, who inaugurated the function, pointed out that Kalmadi, A Raja and Kanimozhi had been sent behind bars based on allegations of corruption. He sought clarification from the BJP leaders as to why Yeddyurappa, who is involved with mining scam of greater ramifications, was still at large. While acknowledging that Karnataka was in the forefront in the entire country in the past as far as development was concerned, he said that the state was lagging behind after BJP came to power, and justified his claims with the help of facts and figures. He called upon the Congress workers to spread information about the misdeeds of the state government.

All India Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of state Congress affairs, Sanjay Nirupam, satirically said that the CM was in Kotakkal to digest the things he consumed through corrupt means. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G Parameshwar, in his introductory address, sought an explanation from Yeddyurappa about the utilization of Rs 36,000 crore loan raised by the state government.

A number of other leaders like union minister of state in the railways, K H Muniyappa, former Chief Minister, Dharam Singh, and leader of the opposition in legislative council, Motamma, addressed the gathering.