From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Aug 9: The conspiracy by opposition BJP and JDS to topple the Congress Government by misusing Raj Bhavan will never succeed, warned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, August 9.
Addressing a mammoth Janandolan conference at Maharaja College Grounds in Mysuru, he accused BJP-JDS leaders – H D Kumaraswamy, B S Yediyurappa, B Y Vijayendra and R Ashok – of hatching a conspiracy to pull down the government through the Raj Bhavan, which has not bothered to issue any notice to Kumaraswamy, Murugesh Nirani and Shashikala Jolle when complaints were lodged and permission for prosecution was sought.
“The enigmatic silence of Raj Bhavan when request for prosecution was sought against BJP-JDS leaders was sought and issuing a show cause notice to the chief minister from Congress is nothing but a political conspiracy,” declared Siddaramaiah and asserting that he cannot be toppled by any number of padayatras by BJP and JDS.
AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and most of the cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders attended the conference.
The chief minister contended that the BJP-JDS attempts to level false charges against the government in the Valmiki Corporation scam will never succeed as documents make it abundantly clear that the government has no role to play in the scam.
It is Congress government which constituted SIT to investigate as soon as the details of irregularities surfaced and SIT has already recovered Rs 50 crore. Rs 46 crore is in private bank, which has been frozen. Despite the speedy action and investigation by SIT, he said ED registered a suo motu case and has been unable to find any evidence against the government.
He said similarly, the BJP-JDS sought to paint the MUDA sites allotment as a scam when there was no irregularity.
“Is there anything against me? No signature, order or letter from me and when the sites were allotted, I was not in power. Despite this, BJP-JDS are shouting hoarse claiming a scam. Don’t believe such canards,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said: “BJP leader Yediyurappa is embroiled in a sex scandal at his old age and the police have registered a POSCO case. Is he not ashamed? When BJP and JDS were in power there were numerous scandals and they have sought stay order from the Supreme Court and demanding my resignation. Is this not shameful?”
“Yediyurappa went to jail by taking bribes through cheque. R Ashok and Vijayendra should have also gone to jail. Are they not ashamed to speak against me?” he asked.
The chief minister said he has the distinction of presenting 15 budgets and could have amassed crores if he wanted to make money. “I don’t have own house in Mysuru and building one now. My previous house was built by taking loans and had to be sold as I was unable to repay. I have faced assembly and parliamentary polls by staying in a rented house,” he said challenging the opposition to show if he has a site other than the one now where the house construction is going on.
“I started my political career from zero. In my first election in 1983, I didn’t have money to pay the security deposit and office clerk Anand paid Rs 250 as deposit. It is the people who elected by spending Rs 63,000 of their own funds. All my nine elections were won with the support of the people, who spent the money,” he said asserting that he has dedicated his life for the service of dalits, oppressed, minorities and the people.
Dwelling at length on the alleged MUDA scam, he declared that he was in no way involved. “What is my mistake? I have never contacted any of the MUDA members or made any demands. Our land was used to form sites and for making park and roads
Siddaramaiah claimed that the regressive forces had worked against Devaraj Urs and Bangarappa, who had worked for the upliftment of the poor and oppressed, and are out to finish him.
Lambasting JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, he said the JDS duo had never kept their word. “Deve Gowda had declared that Kumaraswamy’s alliance with BJP to gain power should be over his dead body and he had no problem afterwards. He had also declared that he would leave the country if Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister and now he is praising him,” he said and asked can such people be trusted.
“I have become Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister twice. My wife has never appeared in public and did not attend even when I was sworn in,” he said.