Bengaluru, Apr 14 (IANS): Hours before underfire Karnataka minister K.S. Eshwarappa announced to tender his resignation in connection with the suicide of a civil contractor who held the senior BJP leader directly responsible for his death, former BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi called it a conspiracy by a Congress leader.
Jarkiholi claimed on Thursday that the "great leader" behind his alleged 'sex CD case' was also behind the present suicide case.
Jarkiholi was pointing fingers at his arch political rival and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar.
"The team which worked behind the 'sex CD' has conspired in this case also. Let the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate this case," he said.
Jarkiholi, who was one of the leaders who played a key role in installing the BJP government in the state by ensuring the collapse of the Congress-JD (S) alliance, had to resign from the cabinet following the release of the alleged sex CD.
"I will hold a press conference on Monday after getting consent from the high command and elaborate more on this conspiracy," he said.
The ruling BJP had also put out a tweet indirectly alleging the role of Shivakumar and his associate and Congress MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar in the matter.
Reacting to the allegations, Shivakumar challenged Jarkiholi to hold a press conference on Thursday itself.
"Let their high command and state leaders conduct a conference. But first let them deliver justice in the case," he said.
On Tuesday, the police had filed an abetment to suicide case against Eshwarappa, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, after Belagavi-based civil contractor, Santhosh Patil, was found dead at a lodge on Tuesday.
Patil, who had blamed Eshwarappa squarely for his death, had earlier accused the senior minister of demanding a 40 per cent cut for clearing bills for various works that he had taken up.
Eshwarappa said on Thursday: "I have worked as the RDPR minister till date under CM (Basavraj) Bommai's leadership in the government. I have taken a decision to tender my resignation on Friday evening. I don't want to cause embarrassment to my party and party leadership."