Minister Eshwarappa addresses media at BJP office in Shivamogga
Shivamogga/Bengaluru: Amid reports that he is set to resign over contractor Santosh Patil’s suicide and FIR registered against him for suicide-abetment, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has clarified today that he will not resign and this is a political conspiracy created to tarnish his image.
“There is no question of me resigning. This is a conspiracy against me. I would urge the Government to launch an impartial investigation to bring out the truth and also expose the people behind it,” he said, addressing a press conference in Shivamogga at 1.30 pm today.
When asked about the allegations of 40 percent commission, he said, “I am speaking with records in front of me. Should I release money without any documents? Where is the work order? Should I give money for bogus work? I am ready to resign if anyone gives me a single piece of record. All these are creations of my opponents,” he said.
High Command sends message
Meanwhile, reports from Bengaluru said that CM Bommai is likely to seek the resignation of Eshwarappa. Highly placed sources told Star of Mysore that the BJP High Command has asked the CM to decide on the Minister’s fate in two days to control the damage to the party.
Soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted about the incident yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah summoned Union Minister from Karnataka Pralhad Joshi and asked him to discuss the issue with Karnataka BJP In-Charge Arun Singh and CM Basavaraj Bommai.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “BJP’s 40% Commission Government in Karnataka has claimed the life of their own Karyakarta. The victim’s pleas to PM went unanswered. PM & CM are complicit.”
Cong., AAP stage protests
Karnataka Youth Congress workers staged protests across the State today demanding the arrest of Eshwarappa. They were detained by Police when they headed for Eshwarappa’s residence. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers too staged a protest outside CM Bommai’s office.
Instances of corruption and threatening contractors from Ministers, happened in the then Mysore State under Kengal Hanumanthaiah rule in early 1950s, just under 7 years after independence.
Kengal’s Vidhana Soudha construction contracts were awarded to Kengal’s friends, who were the major contractors, through whom Kengal got the kickbacks worth crores of rupees. The subcontractors who were employed by these major contractors were squeezed , cajoled and threatened with bodily harm, and no one knew what happened to them later, as the police force was weak, the news reporting was not adequate and most news were censored if they related to the Kengal government.
This villain, Easwarappa, who had special darshan in Chamundeshwari Temple, not long ago, standing with his family in the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Goddess ,just a few feet away from the deity, and received the personal blessings and parasadams from the chief priest himself, as he does for every VIP and rich men! These villains have no fear of their sinful lives, they think the Goddess bless s them.
B TW, the chief priest simply uses his position to letrich and VIP families inside the Temple, neat the Goddess, handing out prasadams on one hand, and getting a wad of rupee bills on the other hand! He is very rich too!!
He will escape justice after Bommai asks him to resign.
The justice system in India is shameful riddled with corruption too, making India a massive corruption dump.
What is needed is a vigilante army of people who sentence people like him. Alas, in a democracy, even a corrupt one like India, it cannot happen.
This is independent India, after just 70 years of independence.