Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jun 19: Former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, warned that the state government will be moving on fast track towards its own doom, if it adopts the Justice Jagannath Shetty Commission’s report on Haveri firing incident.

Addressing a press conference held in the office of the JDS here on Friday, he opined that the report of the commission contains several untrue facts including the allegation that the Congress and the JDS had hired men to create disturbances. One of the recommendations of the Commission is to impose code of conduct on the media. “If this report and its recommendations are accepted, the government will not remain in power for long,” he predicted.

He accused the Commission of concealing some hard facts in a hurry to give a clean chit to the state government in the said incident. “With this, the Commission has lost its credibility. The government also appears to be under the misconception that this report will lift up its sagging reputation,” he commented. Saying that he has seen scores of such reports in the past, he felt it was up to Yeddyurappa to decide whether adopt the report or assign it to dustbin. He termed the report of the Commission as undemocratic, as it has tried to cow down the rights of the farmers to lead agitations and the independence of the press. He also advised Yeddyurappa to thoroughly consider pros and cons before deciding upon the presiding officers of the commissions the government might appoint in future, as there are a number of retired judges who are capable of heading such inquiries.

Expressing his displeasure at the fact that the Congress failed to respond to the overtures of his party, Gowda vowed to keep equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP henceforth.