Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that Congress party was not supporting organisations like PFI and SDPI, but it was BJP which had allowed them to continue activities for the sake of dividing votes.
Speaking to press persons in Hubballi on Tuesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah clarified that Congress had never objected to banning these organisations. “Whichever the organisation might be, if they resort to taking lives, it cannot be tolerated. Instead of wasting time on making allegations, if they have substantial evidence, they should take steps to ban them,” he said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah alleged that because of the intelligence failure, murders had taken place in Mangaluru and both Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra should bear the responsibility for the same.
“Condemning the killing, members of BJP and Sangha Parivar have resorted to protests. If the government cannot protect them, then how can it protect others. It is clear that the government has failed completely. It is better to resign and go for election,” he said.
Taking exception to the CM visiting only the family members of Praveen, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the CM had indulged in discrimination by not visiting the family of Fazil. “Mr. Bommai is not the CM of one religion or one section. He is representative of six crore people. They have begun the practice of giving compensation to the victim’s families. Such being the case compensation should be given to every such murder victim,” he said.
Referring to the ‘India Shining’ campaign during the tenure of Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to know whether actually it happened. On BJP’s target 150 for the next assembly election, he said that the BJP leaders were daydreaming but the people of Karnataka were waiting for the elections. “Even if the elections are held tomorrow, Congress will win with clear majority,” he said.
Replying to a query, Mr. Siddramaiah clarified that Wednesday’s function in Davanagere was not ‘Siddaramotsava’. “As I am completing 75 years tomorrow (Wednesday), my friends and well wishers are celebrating it as ‘Amrut Mahotsava’. It is a milestone. The talk about show of strength, efforts to become CM are nothing but media’s creation. We don’t have any faction. There is only one faction and that is Sonia Gandhi faction,” he said.
