Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Apr 15: Karnataka chief minister (CM), Siddaramaiah, who has come in for all round criticism from people belonging to the opposition and his own party for alleged nepotism he showed towards his son in getting lab contract of a government hospital, also has received flak from his own cabinet colleague.
State revenue minister, V Srinivas Prasad, created discomfiture for the CM by commenting that this incident has caused acute embarrassment for the government as well as Congress party. Former union minister and MP, K H Muniyappa, also has fired an indirect salvo at the CM by commenting that the chief ministers, when in power, need to keep their children, family, and close relatives at a distance.
Srinivas Prasad's comments came during his interaction with media persons at Mysuru on Thursday. He said that granting of tender to chief minister's son towards opening of diagnostic laboratory inside government hospitals has indeed created awkward moments for the government and the ruling party. He said that the CM has already issued clarification on the issue, and expressed confidence that the CM would come forward to address this controversy on his own and thus help the party and the government out of this embarrassment.
Former union minister, Muniyappa, speaking to media persons in the city on Thursday, said that the CM has to take care to keep children, family, and close relatives away from corridors of power. He said that by allowing close ones to benefit from the government, the CM would be helping the detractors to reap political benefits. "I do not have detailed information about the contract granted to Dr Yathindra to run laboratory. But people in power can escape from such allegations by keeping close ones away. In the past, Yeddyurappa had faced similar charges," he recollected.
A trend is being witnessed within the Congress party to take indirect potshots at the CM after the laboratory tender case hit the headlines. It may be recalled that veteran Congress leader, B Janardhana Poojary, had sought apology from the CM relating to this incident immediately after it came to light. Now, Muniyappa and Srinivas Prasad have joined the bandwagon of the CM's critics. It is thought that more leaders might chip in with their comments at a time when the CM is faced with the challenge of conducting ministry reorganization exercise.