BJP to lay siege to Chief Minister’s house, stage massive protest at Freedom Park tomorrow

Mysuru: Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka launched a blistering attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alleging that there is no certainty he will complete his full five-year term as Chief Minister, given the internal power struggle within the Congress.

Addressing a press conference at a private hotel in Mysuru this morning, Ashoka said, “Siddaramaiah boasts about giving five guarantees to uplift the poor, but there’s no guarantee for his own chair. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is actively conspiring to take over.”

Ashoka accused Siddaramaiah and his son of monopolising land and power in Mysuru with the help of party workers and henchmen. “They have fenced off land and politically dominated Old Mysuru so that only Siddaramaiah family members rule this region,” he said.

Accusing other Congress leaders, Ashok said “D.K. Shivakumar has power around Ramanagara, M.B. Patil in Vijayapura, Satish Jarkiholi in Belagavi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and his son in Kalaburagi. These leaders behave like feudal lords in their respective fiefdoms.”

Ashoka claimed that a registered agreement with the party’s high command exists, indicating a planned leadership change. He accused Rahul Gandhi of passively watching the power tussle unfold, remarking that D.K. Shivakumar has “placed a towel on the CM’s chair.”

Self-destabilisation

Dismissing suggestions that the BJP is trying to destabilise the Congress government, Ashoka said, “Congress is responsible for its own downfall. They are suspending honest Police officers for political reasons.” He questioned why the Governor was invited to a non-government event if it wasn’t officially sanctioned.

Criticising the handling of the recent stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people, Ashoka accused the Government of gross negligence.

“Siddaramaiah lied that the RCB victory events at Vidhana Soudha and Chinnaswamy Stadium were not Government-organised. If so, why was the Governor invited? The people of Karnataka know Siddaramaiah will go to any extent to cling to power. This stampede is nothing short of State-sponsored murder, and both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar must be held accountable,” he said.

A massive protest will be staged by the BJP at Freedom Park in Bengaluru tomorrow (June 13) to topple the Government. He said that the CM’s house will also be picketed on that day.

Modi’s development agenda

In contrast, Ashoka highlighted India’s development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “India’s GDP has risen, bullet train and airport projects are progressing, and healthcare has improved significantly,” he said, noting that medical colleges have increased from 377 to 704, and India now exports pharmaceuticals to over 100 countries.

He added that national security has strengthened, especially in counter-terror operations and Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir have seen major development initiatives and integration.

The press conference was attended by former MP Prathap Simha, City BJP President L. Nagendra, MLA T.S. Srivatsa, BJP State Minority Morcha President Dr. Anil Thomas, leaders Mahesh, Yashasvi Somashekhar, Sandesh Swamy and others.