Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (VP)
Mangaluru, Aug 19: Capt Brijesh Chowta, MP of Dakshina Kannada, criticised chief minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government over the MUDA and Valmiki scam cases, accusing them of creating unrest in the state with misleading statements about the Governor. He further stated, "Ivan D'Souza's statements are unconstitutional, and the police should file a suo moto case. It feels like the Congress party has taken inspiration from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and we know that Rahul Gandhi is supporting these people in the background."
Addressing the media on August 19 at the BJP office here, Capt Chowta said, "The actions of the Congress government are pushing the state towards anarchy. The Congress government prioritizes corruption, and the chief minister is giving a clean chit to himself. When he was protesting against the corruption allegations against the BJP, he demanded accountability. Today, when there are allegations against him and the Governor issued prosecution, he shows no respect for the law. We urge him to resign immediately until the investigation is over to respect the constitution and uphold his public mandate."
He added, "Chief minister Siddaramaiah has taken what belongs to the public, but instead of resigning, he is pressuring the Congress party to protect him. The BJP has faced many challenges from the upper house to the lower house, raising our voice, but the chief minister thinks he is safe. I ask the Congress high command, is it unconstitutional to issue an investigation to check whether corruption took place? In Mangaluru, they have thrown stones at buses, and one person is seriously injured."
Mangaluru North MLA Dr Bharath Shetty also spoke, stating, "When the MUDA scam came out, the chief minister had an opportunity to address the house but avoided debates. He claims to be a socialist, but even leaders like Advani resigned when facing allegations and later returned to politics. We understood there were issues when we were not even allowed to speak. The finance department has acknowledged some mistakes, and everyone is involved in this scam. There are 130 Congress MLAs who could become the next chief minister while Siddaramaiah is under investigation."
Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath said, "The Governor has his own legal team, and after reviewing the documents, he made his decision. The Congress is trying to blackmail the BJP, but they couldn't provide any evidence when raising slogans about a 40% commission, which is why some Congress members are in jail. The Governor has followed the law, and everyone knows that the SIT belongs to the chief minister, so he should resign to allow the investigation to proceed."
In response to media questions about why B S Yediyurappa did not resign during an investigation, Capt Chowta replied, "We only requested that there are allegations against you, and you cannot give yourself a clean chit. If the investigation is to run smoothly, he should immediately resign and appoint someone in his place."
When asked about Ivan D'Souza's statement that Karnataka would become like Bangladesh and force the Governor to flee, Capt Chowta said, "This is the ideology of George Soros and Rahul Gandhi. Ivan D'Souza has said that this will happen in Karnataka. Today, they have stoned buses and people when it is their government. Everyone involved in the stone pelting should be arrested. The BJP is strong, and we will not take instructions from the Congress. The public stands with us today."
When questioned about why the Governor did not issue notices for pending cases but suddenly approved an investigation against the CM within a day, Capt Chowta said, "We have never said we would make the Governor run away, and we respect the constitution. But right now, it is Siddaramaiah's government, and if he remains in power, the investigation will not be honest. Blaming the Governor makes no sense."
In response to questions about why the BJP is targeting Siddaramaiah, Capt Chowta stated, "This did not happen within a day; almost a month has passed, and we understood there were issues. As chief minister, he is the head of the state, and it is morally right that he should resign. There is no need for violence; let them face the law. If they don't trust the Governor, Constitution, or anything, then it is wrong.”
Nitin Kumar, Sanjay Prabhu, Yathish, and others were present.