CM questions Modi’s silence over Hindenburg report and Manipur violence

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the Hindenburg report and violence in Manipur.

When reporters drew his attention to the Prime Minister’s reference to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case against him during a rally in election-bound Haryana, Mr. Siddaramaiah pointed out that there were a lot of corrupt people in BJP and asked Mr. Modi to correct them first.

“Why doesn’t Narendra Modi speak about Hindenburg and Manipur? Why hasn’t he visited Manipur?”, he asked before questioning the reason for Mr. Modi to remain silent on these issues that had been raised by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Siddaramaiah’s comments came a day after the Lokayukta police registered an FIR against him, his wife Parvathi and two others in connection with the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife.

When asked about his meeting with Congress MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who is also the Legal Adviser to the Chief Minister, earlier in the day, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Ponnanna, the MLA representing Virajpet in Kodagu, was on his way to the constituency and had stopped by to speak to him.

As Mr. Ponnanna was also his legal adviser, he discusses issues with him on a daily basis. He was proceeding to his constituency and called on him as he was in Mysuru. “There is nothing special about the visit,” Mr. Siddaramaiah added.

Responding to a question on allegations levelled against him by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the JD(S) leader speaks only lies and he will not respond to everything that he says.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ponnanna, accompanied by Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Suresh, met Mr. Siddaramaiah in Mysuru before proceeding to Kodagu.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Byrathi Suresh denied that they had discussed the issues relating to MUDA during the meeting. He said registration of FIR against Mr. Siddaramaiah was expected.

“We have faith in the judiciary,” he said before adding that their next move will depend on the decisions of the courts.

Mr. Suresh denied allegations of the BJP that Mr. Siddaramaiah had been misled by him, leading to such a predicament. He said the allotment had taken place during the previous BJP regime in 2021 when he was not the Minister.

When asked for his reaction to the BJP’s demand for Mr. Siddaramaiah’s resignation, Mr. Suresh asked Mr. Kumaraswamy and Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman against whom FIRs had been lodged to resign first.

Published - September 28, 2024 08:20 pm IST