From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 14: The plans of State Congress party to lay siege to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence as a protest demanding arrest and dismissal of Minister K S Eshwarappa over the suicide issue was thwarted by the police by arresting KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar, Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and others near the Race Course Road in Bengaluru on Thursday.
KPCC Campaign Committee Chairman M B Patil, National Youth Congress President B V Srinivas, KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed, State Mahila Congress Chief Pushpa Amarnath, Govindaraju and other leaders also courted arrest as part of the Congress party’s agitation to demand Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwarappa over the suicide of Belagavi-based BJP leader and contractor Santhosh K Patil allegedly at the demand for 40% commission as kickbacks by the minister and his two aides.
Speaking to media representatives after the arrest and release, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah announced that they along with all legislators from Bengaluru will stage 24-hour dharna in front of High Court from April 16.
The 24-hour dharna was originally planned from Thursday itself but had to be postponed by a day due to protests against Eshwarappa by all district units on Friday and will now be held on Saturday, Shivakumar said.
The KPCC Chief charged that corruption was rampant in Karnataka and the Chief Minister was shielding the corrupt and arguing like a leader of the corrupt. “We will continue our protest demanding Eshwarappa’s arrest and dismissal from the cabinet,” he warned.
Shivakumar said the deceased contractor was a BJP worker and was National Secretary of Hindu Yuva Vahini. “If such a person is asked to shell out 40% commission, it is anybody’s guess as to how others are looted. We have visited the house of the deceased contractor at Hindalga in Belagavi district and his wife and mother have disclosed all the details. They have not shared everything as the government is exerting pressure on them and are trying to slander them,’’ he said.
The KPCC Chief said the deceased contractor had appealed to his Lingayat community stalwart and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, the Chief Minister and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi for justice. “But the Chief Minister is protecting the corrupt. It is surprising why Yediyurappa is silent when his community man has ended life. The Prime Minister who had declared that ‘’Na Khaavoonga, Na khaane doonga’’ must listen to the pleas for justice from the widow and his mother.
Shivakumar urged Bommai to listen to the pleas and pain of the bereaved family and meet them and also the brother.
Cong promises job, Rs 11 lakh to widow
Demanding that the overdue payment of Rs 4 crore for 108 works carried out by Santhosh on the oral instructions of the minister must be paid and a compensation of Rs 1 crore must be paid by the government besides a job to the widow on compassionate grounds.
“Until the government offers a job to the widow, the party will provide a private job and also provide a financial assistance of Rs 11 lakh. This is our promise,’’ he declared.
Tributes to Ambedkar
Earlier, KPCC Chief Shivakumar, Opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretary and State party in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and other State Congress leaders paid tributes by offering flowers to Dr B R Ambedkar’s photo in the Congress Bhavan.
Former Minister Vinay Kulkarni and Prabhakar Gowda from Hubballi called on Shivakumar at his residence.
The KPCC Chief was offered a shawl and blessings by Dr Sri Siddalinga Swamiji of Ingaleshwar Math in Vijayapura district.