I’ve been implicated in a false case as I criticise Modi and Shah, claims Siddaramaiah

In his election speech in Sandur segment for party candidate Annapurna, he repeatedly claims he has done no wrong

Referring to the MUDA site allotment case in which he is accused no 1, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that he has been falsely implicated as he is a strong critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“They [BJP] are trying to politically finish me off as I have consistently criticised Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah for their policies and lies and questioned the injustices they have meted out to Karnataka. Due to my criticism of them, they have implicated me in a false case,” claimed Mr. Siddaramaiah at a public meeting at Choranur village in Sandur Assembly Constituency on Thursday.

“They are trying to finish off their critics through the ED (Enforcement Directorate), IT [Income Tax] Department and CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation]. But, I tell you that I will never bend to any conspiracy as long as I have your blessings,” he said.

The event was a part of several public meetings that he addressed in the constituency while campaigning for Congress candidate E. Annapurna.

In another public meeting at Yeshwanth Nagar in the constituency, Mr. Siddaramaiah once again claimed that he has been implicated in a false case even though he has not done any wrong. He called upon the people to vote for Congress candidates in the byelections to give a befitting reply to the BJP’s “conspiracies”.

“I did no wrong. There has been no black spot in my long political career. Yet, I am booked in a false case. If you want to teach a lesson to the BJP for their ‘conspiracies’, you must ensure Annapurna’s victory. Annapurna is the daughter of my close friend. Annapurna should fill the seat vacated by her husband E. Tukaram, who is now an MP. Her victory will be my victory. Her victory in the byelection will give me more strength,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said, exuding the confidence in the party winning all three seats.

In the Choranur meeting, the Chief Minister termed the byelection as a fight between the Congress that has fulfilled promises it made during the Assembly elections and the BJP that “never” fulfilled its promises.

“Now, you must think about, before exercising your franchise, who you vote for to get more value and esteem for your vote. Indira Gandhi implemented a 20-point programme and provided food security to the country. She came up with poverty alleviation programmes. What are the BJP’s contributions to the country? I am the only Chief Minister who has completed a five-year term after the former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs in the State,” he said.

“I have again become the Chief Minister. It was possible because of the welfare programmes we implemented and the pro-people governance we gave. In 2023, we fulfilled our promises by implementing all five guarantees within eight months of coming to power. Did the BJP give anything to you when it was in power? It did not fulfil even 10% of promises it made in the 2018 elections,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

In a public meeting at Bommaghatta, the Chief Minister said that the BJP, when it was in power, did not give even a single house to the houseless in Sandur but it did carry out Operation Lotus to topple a democratically elected Congress government to loot the State.

Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that the BJP loved the [mineral-rich] hills and mines in Sandur and never showed its affection towards the people.

Published - November 07, 2024 06:54 pm IST