Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 2: Addressing a press conference organized on Friday July 1 at the Congress party’s district office in the city, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee secretary, Ivan D’Souza, termed the BJP’s decision not to accept the challenge posed by former Chief Minister and JDS state president, H D Kumaraswamy to the Chief Minister (CM). Kumaraswamy had challenged the CMto order an inquiry by Central Bureauof Investigation (CBI) relating to the allegations the CM had levelled against him and his family members.

“BJP leaders are keeping mum, knowing fully well that if they accept the challenge, they will have to face the litmus test later. If the BJP government orders CBI inquiry against JDS now, BJP leaders are afraid, they will have to entrust the allegations made against them too to the CBI,” Ivan reasoned. He questioned the decision of the BJP not to hold CBI investigation against disproportionate assets accumulated by JDS leaders. State BJP president, K S Eshwarappa, had said, speaking in the city on Thursday that the above cases will not be handed over for CBI investigation.

“By staying away from ordering CBI inquiry, BJP is indirectly supporting corruption. BJP does not have belief in the judicial system of the country, and hence seeks recourse to divine interference in the form of religious vows, and making the people conservative,” he complained. He also condemned the CM’s decision not to cut duties on petroleum products, citing that several other states have cut taxes on these goods to ease burden on consumers. Ivan made public his party’s decision to fight against the proposed hike in power tariff.

The press conference was attended by Congress leaders like Ibrahim Kodijal, Moidin Bawa, T K Sudhir, Mamata Gatti, Nagendra Kumar, and Sadashiv Ullal, among others.