Congress defends CM Siddaramaiah, says BJP-JD(S) are trying to destabilise govt

Strongly backing its chief minister Siddaramaiah, who is on the BJP's radar in the MUDA and state-run Valmiki Corporation "scams", the Congress on Sunday, 4 August said it would explain the truth to the people and fight unitedly against efforts to destabilise its government.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation K C Venugopal held a meeting with ministers, along with AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Singh Surjewala, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the party's state chief.

The meeting comes in the wake of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot issuing a show cause notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which is seen as a precursor to giving sanction to his prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'.

"Everybody knows the honesty of Siddaramaiah. He is not a new chief minister here. Everybody knows his career, where he started, where he is now, also his ideology and his background," Venugopal said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said the BJP and JD(S) are aware that the Congress government's guarantee schemes to address the concerns of the poor people will harm them politically, and so they are targeting the government and the chief minister.

"So they conspired and brought out some charges against Siddaramaiah and the Congress government, and are thereby trying to destabilise the government. Unfortunately the governor of the state has become the tool of the BJP's conspiracy. ...they are trying to create a perception that the government will be destabilised," he added.

The BJP and JD(S) are on a week-long 'Mysuru Chalo' padayatre (foot march) since Saturday against the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites by MUDA to those who lost land to other development projects, including to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, and are demanding his resignation.

Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had issued show cause notice on 26 July directing the CM to submit his reply to the allegations within seven days.

The Karnataka government on Thursday "strongly advised" the governor to withdraw his show-cause notice , and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office'' of the Governor.

The council of ministers after their meeting on Thursday had said a concerted effort is being made to destabilise a lawfully-elected majority government in Karnataka for political considerations.

Venugopal said the ministers have been told to go to the districts and assembly constituencies and to explain to the people the way in which the BJP is trying to destabilise the government and thereby finish off the guarantee schemes.

"We are very much concerned about the poor people of the state, we will continue with the guarantee schemes. We are really proud of the government's implementation of guarantees. This is what we have discussed and decided today," he added.

The opposition parties have been demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation over Valmiki Corporation 'scam', that came to light the corporations's accounts superintendent Chandrashekhar P died by suicide on 26 May, leaving behind a note detailing the transfer of Rs 187 crore belonging to the corporation from its bank account, of which Rs 88.62 crore was illegally moved to accounts of "well-known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank among others.

Noting the BJP's history in "sabotaging" governments, Venugopal said the last JD(S)-Congress coalition government was "dislodged" by the conspiracy of the BJP central leadership. "In the same way, they are trying and targetting the current Karnataka government with a clear motive."

He claimed the opposition was doing it to save its people. When former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna's sexual abuse cases came out, at that point itself there was a conspiracy against the Congress government, he said. "Both BJP and JD(S) leaders want to save their leaders' children, so they are targeting our elected government."

Terming the BJP talking about corruption the "biggest joke", the MP from Kerala asked, "How many cases B Y Vijayendra (BJP state president) has against him? How many cases are there against Prajwal Revanna? Now they are trying to project them as the most decent people in the country and attacking the chief minister who has built his career by being amidst the common people of the state."

"We know their (opposition) intention. They want to finish a person who is standing for the poor people of Karnataka... Everyday creating a perception that Siddaramaiah is corrupt, their intention is clear, they are targeting CM Siddaramaiah and our guarantee schemes," he said, adding that the government and the Congress party would stand by the people.

Responding to a question, Venugopal said that today's discussion was not about the performance of the ministers.

Speaking about the union budget, he said, "Union Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) was elected (to Rajya Sabha) from Karnataka. Total discrimination. No BJP member is raising it in Parliament. It is a very sorry state of affairs."

Instead of coming forward to support the state, the BJP is trying to destabilise the government, he said, adding, "But times have changed. The central government is not so strong as earlier. Those trying such things (destabilising) have to think about it. Congress party is very much confident, we will fight it legally, and such destabilising attempts will be explained to the people of the state with great vigour."