Threat to woman municipal commissioner case: BJP slams police for ‘failing’ to trace Cong leader
Bengaluru: Targeting the Congress-led government over a case involving a party leader allegedly threatening and abusing a woman municipal commissioner, the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said there can be no greater embarrassment than the police failing to trace the accused, Congress leader Rajeev Gowda.
Speaking to the media at the BJP state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy made the statement in this regard.
Referring to the Shidlaghatta case, Narayanaswamy said the manner in which the Congress’ defeated candidate Rajeev Gowda abused an officer and how the government was protecting him was evident to all.
“They say they have kept him close, even housed him in their own place, and formed four police teams. They keep saying they will arrest him today or tomorrow. He is available to journalists, but is he not available to the police?” he asked.
He remarked sarcastically that there could be no greater mockery than the police being unable to trace Rajeev Gowda.
He said the court had pulled up the government strongly the previous day, observing that the appropriate sections had not even been invoked for the statements made. “If an opposition worker posts a single comment on social media, they behave as if he must be arrested and sent to jail. Looking at the court’s observations, one has to ask whether this government has any sense of shame or dignity,” he said.
Narayanaswamy alleged that this was the reason the Excise Minister had been allowed to indulge in corruption and subsequently get caught. He further alleged that in the Valmiki Corporation scam, the Chief Minister got others to carry out the wrongdoing and then sent them home.
“Now even this minister is in a situation where he will have to go home. He cannot be protected. The Assembly session begins tomorrow and we will demand his resignation and stage a protest in the House,” he said.
On the VB RAM G issue, Narayanaswamy said senior national leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan would arrive on Thursday and hold discussions with members of both Houses. He said NDA allies, including the BJP and the JD(S), would also take part in discussions with party leaders.
“Using this very issue, the Congress government is now trying to oppose it. They have said a special discussion will be held in the House tomorrow. Our stand is very clear. We want the scheme to benefit the people,” he said.
Narayanaswamy said their objective was that it should be a scheme and not a scam. “So far, it has not been a scheme, but a scam,” he alleged, adding that the Congress government had changed its name two or three times. “They were indulging in loot even while using Mahatma Gandhi’s name,” he charged.
He alleged that the Excise Minister himself had admitted that attempts were made to target him by bringing his son’s name into the issue. “There is no smoke without fire. It is true that the minister is embroiled in this case,” he said, adding that there was suspicion that the Chief Minister was also complicit.
Narayanaswamy further said that when Congress leaders claim they would not bother even if opposition members tear their clothes in protest, it shows corruption has become the Congress party’s household deity.
“From the day the Congress began ruling this country till now, it has been steeped in corruption. That is why people have decided that whenever elections are held, they must be sent home,” he said.
He also alleged that no matter how many protests are staged or complaints filed, the government does not care.
