Siddaramaiah accuses Yediyurappa of indulging in 'vendetta politics'

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Saturday, October 19, accused the State Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa of indulging in vendetta politics and said the Central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders. "Yediyurappa right after taking oath as the Chief Minister had said that he will not indulge in vendetta politics, but he is doing it very much from the beginning," Siddaramaiah said.

Accused the Centre of misusing agencies

During his first visit to Mysore city after being appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in  State Legislative Assembly, he also attacked the Centre by accusing it of misusing agencies. He alleged that the ruling BJP government is misusing central agencies to attack Opposition leaders. "BJP starts its talks with IT and IT raids. They make people scare of Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation. Mainly, the central government led by BJP is targeting Congress and its leaders," he alleged.

Slammed BJP for its 'Bharat Ratna to Savarkar' pitch

On Friday, October 18, the former Karnataka CM slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for its plan to bestow Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar posthumously. He alleged that Savarkar was a 'murderer' and added that he was one of the accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, but the charges could not be proved due to lack of evidence and he was freed. Addressing his party workers, Siddaramaiah said, "The murderer of Mahatma Gandhi is getting Bharat Ratna. Those who conspired to eliminate Gandhiji are getting Bharat Ratna. Should BJP be allowed to gain a foothold in Mangaluru, known as a land of intellectuals?"

READ | Siddaramaiah slams BJP's Bharat Ratna proposal for Veer Savarkar

Claiming that the accused in 90 out of 100 cases are acquitted, Siddaramaiah alleged that Savarkar was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi. "Now they have moved ahead to bestow Bharat Ratna to him. What will happen to the nation? That's why somebody said that you give Bharat Ratna to Nathuram Godse too. Godse was the one who assassinated Gandhiji," he said.

READ | Siddaramaiah tells Cong MLAs to attack JDS on 'understanding' with BJP

BJP hits out at Siddaramaiah 

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday hit out at Siddaramaiah for his comments against Veer Savarkar and said if the Congress leader was in power, people like Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon would have got the Bharat Ratna. The minister also questioned the contributions of former PM Rajiv Gandhi and wanted to know why he was conferred the Bharat Ratna.

READ | Siddaramaiah thanks Sonia Gandhi for appointing him LoP in Karnataka

READ | Pralhad Joshi slams Siddaramaiah over comments against Veer Savarkar