Karnataka BJP to protest for SIT probe in Haveri moral policing case: Basavaraj Bommai

“The state home minister and the Haveri SP were not ready to admit it. But now Hangal police personnel have been kept under suspension. This clearly indicates the dereliction of duty of the local cops. The Hangal police acted against rules. The victim was denied proper medical treatment. The CM has been negligent in this incident. The BJP has planned a mammoth protest in front of the Haveri SP office on January 20,” Bommai told reporters.

Bommai said the protest rally would be attended by R Ashok, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, among other state and district BJP leaders.

The police have arrested eight people in the case and suspended circle inspector SR Sridhar and constable Iliaz Shetasanadi on charges of dereliction of duty.

On January 8, a Muslim woman and Hindu man were beaten up by a group of people who barged into their lodge room in Hangal. While the Hangal police initially registered a case based on a complaint filed by the lodge’s room boy, the woman later alleged in a video that she had been gang-raped. The police then registered a case under Indian Penal Code section 376D (gangrape).

‘Siddaramaiah responsible for reduced central tax share’

Speaking about a social media campaign the Congress has launched, Bommai said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been providing good governance and implementing several welfare schemes. “Modi is all set to become the PM for the third consecutive term. Unable to digest this, Siddaramaiah had been making baseless allegations against Modi. The CM’s son and former MLA Dr Yatindra Siddaramaiah had said that his father would continue in the same post if the Congress party won more seats. That means Siddaramaiah was scared of losing the CM’s post if the party won fewer seats. For this reason, whenever Modi visits Karnataka, Congress leaders release fake documents to mislead people,” he said.

Bommai held Siddaramaiah responsible for the decrease in Karnataka’s share under the devolution of taxes from 4.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent as he alleged that the government did not explain the state’s real financial position to the 15th Finance Commission.

“When the UPA government was in power, did it give flood relief to the BJP government? The BJP government had distributed Rs 2,500 crore in flood relief to farmers without waiting for central funds. The people voted for the Congress to provide good governance, but the party is derailing the state economy in the name of guarantee schemes, which would cost the government a whopping Rs 30,000 crore,” the former chief minister said.

“But no money has been reserved for this purpose. Funds have been released for development and the MLAs have openly said about it. To pacify those legislators, the government has promised Rs 25 crore for each MLA. When I was the CM, even Opposition Congress MLAs were given Rs 25 crore each. The same yardstick must be applied. The MLAs under the current dispensation are the unluckiest lot,” he went on.

Bommai said the chief minister “knew well that he cannot take on the PM”. “So let him engage in a debate (on central funds) with the BJP’s IT cell youths, who have all the details,” he suggested.

Bommai also commented on Karwar MP Ananth Kumar Hegde’s controversial statement where he addressed Siddaramaiah as “magane” (my son). He said no one was defending the former Union minister’s statement and that everyone must be careful while speaking.

“The CM addresses everyone on this planet in a disrespectful manner. But if others talk in the same language, he says it’s wrong,” Bommai added.