Mysuru: BJP State Vice-President and former Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad has taken objection to Chief Minister Siddharamaiah’s statement where the CM had said, “Ask B.Y. Vijayendra’s father B.S. Yeddyurappa to contest in Varuna Constituency.”

Sreenivasa Prasad said, “These words from the CM do not suit his position. The CM’s words demean his own stature,” he said. Prasad was addressing a press conference at a private hotel yesterday where he spoke at length on the book written by him ‘Swabhimana Rajakaranada Hinnele – Nanjanagudu Vidhana Sabha Upachunavane – Vishleshane’ (Politics With Self Esteem: The background of Nanjangud Assembly By-elections).

Continuing, Sreenivasa Prasad said that it was not right for Siddharamaiah to swear in the names of a political rival’s father or a mother. “The CM must keep his dignity and instead of getting personal, he must focus on issues. A person who sits in such a high position must maintain dignity, decency and decorum while speaking about political rivals,” Prasad said.

“People are fed up with his audacity and arrogance. Like in the by-polls to Nanjangud and Gundlupet constituencies last year, Siddharamaiah will resort to all malpractices to win the polls,” Prasad charged.

Focusing on election campaigns of Siddharamaiah, Sreenivasa Prasad said that looking at the lack of response from people from Chamundeshwari, Siddharamaiah would have got the message that he will lose the elections.

Referring to Siddharamaiah’s often repeated statement that the BJP is led by B.S. Yeddyurappa, who went to jail, Prasad said, Yeddyurappa is acquitted in all cases but Siddharamaiah is followed everywhere by K. Marigowda, who is facing charges of intimidating IAS officer C. Shikha, who was then Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru.

“Siddharamaiah lied to the Legislative Assembly that he has no relationship with Marigowda. But Marigowda, Siddharamaiah’s late son Rakesh and Siddharamaiah’s Deputy Secretary P. Ramaiah were the ones who called the shots in the transfer of officials when I was the Mysuru district In-charge Minister. As I understood the support of Siddharamaiah to their deeds, I kept silent on the issue,” Prasad said.