Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Feb 17: Senior Congress leader Janardhan Poojary on Wednesday February 17 once again raked up the issue of chief minister Siddarmaiah's controversial watch and said that the CM should auction it just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi had auctioned his much talked-about expensive suit.
Addressing a press meet here, Poojary said, "The chief minister should auction his watch and use the money for a social cause, just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi auctioned his coat for Rs 4 crore, after which people forgave him."
However, he added that if the CM were to face action over the watch, Modi too should be brought under the Lokayukta scanner. "If the Lokayukta takes action against Siddaramaiah over the watch, similar action should be taken against Modi also for wearing the expensive coat. It is better if the CM auctions the watch and resolves the issue.
"If the governor gives permission to prosecute the CM, will the same governor ask Modi to go to jail?" he questioned.
"Is it wrong for people to accept good things from elected representatives? The CM should apologise for the watch issue. What will he lose?" he added.
On the upcoming zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat polls, he said, "Rebel candidates who have filed nominations against the Congress should step back. If it affects the Congress and the party does not win, the blame will come on the rebels. J P Hegde faced injustice in the MLC elections, but being a rebel is not correct."
On the row at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, he said, "Sedition case has been filed against students, but is there anything seditious in the speech videos? Even ministers are supporting this claim. What if the JNU union leader goes into depression and commits suicide? Who will bear the responsibility? Law is equal to everyone. Take action against ministers who are unnecessarily creating fear. This is nothing but a political case."
To a question on JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's comments on the CM's watch, Poojary said, "There is a Rs 152-crore bribe allegation against Kumaraswamy which the CBI is investigating. The case is in the Supreme Court. There is a 200 acre land in Bidadi belonging to Kumaraswamy's aunt in which he too has a share. If Siddaramaiah is intelligent, he will raise these issues.
On Congress' performance in the Assembly by-elections in which it lost two of the three seats, he said, "Congress is in the same position as before, there is no change. This shows that Congress will rule in future also. We are hopeful of winning the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections."
Harish Kumar Kini, Keshav Kotian, Sanjeev Moily, Venkatesh Perampalli, Ashok and others were present.