From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 25: Former minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, ready to fight a political and legal battle against the FIR filed against him for an alleged threat made to Congress leader Siddaramaiah during an election speech in Mandya, urged the Congress government to abandon vendetta politics and prioritize the development of the state.
"An FIR has been lodged against me for my speech in Mandya back in February. I have already addressed this issue in the Assembly and made it clear that I hold no personal animosity towards Siddaramaiah. I respect him. Moreover, I have expressed regret if my statement caused him any hurt," he stated, while accusing the ruling party of instigating the filing of the FIR against him.
Dr Narayan clarified that his statement referred to Vokkaliga chieftains Nanjegowda and Urigowda's alleged involvement in the demise of Tipu Sultan and urged the public to hold Siddaramaiah accountable politically. "My statement has been misconstrued, and I never spoke about physically harming Siddaramaiah," he emphasized.
The BJP leader criticized the Congress for politicizing the issue and ensuring that the FIR was filed after a span of four months. He also highlighted the fact that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had recently criticized police officers at a meeting for their inaction regarding the reported threat against Siddaramaiah, and shortly afterward, the FIR was filed. "All of this is politically motivated. The Congress leaders have become arrogant within days of their victory. We know how to counter them, and this kind of vendetta politics is detrimental to a party in power," he stated.
The BJP leader urged the government to focus on fulfilling its election promises and guarantees instead of engaging in vendetta politics.