Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar alleged that a plot has been orchestrated against him aimed at incarcerating him.
Speaking to the media after the ‘Jan Andolan Sabha,’ held in response to the BJP's padayatra at Bidadi near Bengaluru, Shivakumar declared, “I am aware of the conspiracy. Let them proceed. I am prepared to face any outcomes. Many leaders with similar qualities and capabilities will rise within the Congress party.”
He continued, “I will begin exposing the corruption scandals involving State President B.Y. Vijayendra. If he has any evidence, let him present the specific details of my alleged corruption. While I respect him as the state President of his party, if he has the strength, he should provide a detailed explanation. On what grounds does he label me as the father of corruption?” Shivakumar criticized.
Shivakumar further questioned, “Does he even understand my legal battles? Does he know about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case that almost led to my imprisonment? Your father (former CM B.S. Yediyurappa) authorized the IT probe in that case. Are you aware that the case was dismissed by the Supreme Court? There are cases against you as well—why has permission not been granted for prosecution in those cases? I will discuss this later.”
He emphasized, “Who should be held accountable for the scams that occurred during their tenure? We were elected by the people. We must challenge the BJP and JD (S) during their padayatra. They need to provide answers.”
At the ‘Jan Andolan Sabha’ in Bidadi, Shivakumar accused corrupt individuals of leading the padayatra to benefit other corrupt individuals. “I commend the BJP and JD (S) leaders for enabling us to organize this significant public protest. If they hadn’t organized the padayatra and if Janata Dal had not merged with the BJP, we wouldn’t have had this opportunity to fight back,” he said mockingly.
“BJP and JD (S) leaders are participating in the padayatra. When they come here, they must respond to our queries. During the BJP’s administration, there were financial discrepancies of Rs 87 crore in the Bhovi Corporation and Rs 47 crore in the agricultural market board. Who were the Chief Minister, the ministers, and the corporation president during these financial irregularities? They need to answer these questions. If they don’t, we will, and we have a week to do so,” he challenged.
Shivakumar also highlighted, “In the Devaraj Urs Truck Terminal Corporation, BJP’s Veeraiah (D. S. Veeraiah), a former member of the Legislative Council, embezzled Rs 47 crore and has been jailed for his involvement. Why are the BJP and JD (S) not taking a stand against this misconduct? Why didn’t they investigate these irregularities themselves? We have a comprehensive list of significant discrepancies from their time in power.”
“Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, State BJP President Vijayendra, and senior BJP leaders Ashwath Narayana and C.T. Ravi, you must address our questions during the padayatra,” he insisted.
Shivakumar concluded by challenging Vijayendra, “If you have the courage and conviction, identify the Congress member who supported the BJP’s padayatra.” He criticized Vijayendra for accusing Congress members of backing the padayatra and demanded, “If you’re brave enough, name the Congress member who has supported this padayatra.”
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