Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government in Karnataka is in a spot over inducting two tainted MlAs in to his Ministry. Siddaramaiah, according to Congress sources was forced by the high command to induct DK Shivakumar and Roshna Baig both are being probed in various cases. Even though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified their joining his Cabinet on Thursday by saying they were not convicted in any court, the internal squabbles in the Congress has come to open against their induction.
Addressing a Press conference in Bangalore Siddaramaiah said, “They have not convicted in any court. My Government is clean. My Cabinet is clean. There are no scamsters in it. Nothing has been proved against the duo, nor are there any complaints against them. Merely because someone filed private complaints in the courts does not mean they have wronged,” he maintained.
A senior Congress leader told The Pioneer that the party has not learnt anything from the AAP. He said, “We have not learnt any lessons from AAP’s emergence and our great defeat. What was the need for Chief Minister to induct two tainted MlAs into CabinetIJ Corruption issue is only to talk in Delhi not to implement.”
In fact many senior congress leaders came out openly expressing their displeasure in inducting DK Shivakumar and Roshan Baig.
Several ministerial aspirants and senior leaders like Dr. A.B. Maalaka Raddy, K.B. Koliwada, Manohar Tahsildar and Basavaraja Rayareddy condemned CM Siddaramaiah’s decision. In fact taking a moral stand and under pressure chief minister Siddaramaiah last month had asked information minister Santhosh lad, a mining baron from Bellary to resign as he was facing a probe in his alleged role in illegal mining.
DK Shivakumar is accused of causing loss to state owned mining company and also faces charges of unauthorized granite quarrying. Another minister Roshan Baig is facing a probe in a land grabbing case. His name prominently figures in the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket, which is still being probed.
Meanwhile opposition BJP has strongly opposed the induction of D K Shiva Kumar and Roshan Baig into the cabinet saying that the Congress had gone back on its word of keeping tainted persons out of power. BJP state president Prahlad Joshi said the party would launch a statewide protest opposing the induction of DK Shivakumar and Baig.
Prahlad Joshi said, “We question the moral standing of Siddaramaiah who has been saying that he would not take tainted to his cabinet. We also question congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who has been taking of keeping the tainted away. We are going to protest this.” former BJP CM Jagadish Shettar said ‘They (Congress government) forced Sanotsh lad to resign as he was facing charges of illegal mining and claimed that they those who are tainted would not get ministerial berths. However, after dropping lad from the cabinet they are inducting two persons who are facing charges of irregularities.”
Meanwhile Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi will visit Bangalore on January 11 to address a meeting of the party. Eom/blr