JD(S) to contest RS polls despite CM refusing to back its nominee

Bengaluru, Jul 25: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the ministers of the BJP-led government in the state avoiding a judicial enquiry into the alleged corruption in procurement of medical essentials "is their height of arrogance".

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said, "Why is the government afraid of judicial enquiry on corruption in procurement of medical essentials? If the ministers are so clean, what is holding them back from initiating investigation? This is their heights of arrogance!!"

He said that there should be a judicial enquiry by a sitting High Court Judge to let people know the facts.

"We will submit our documents and let the government submit their documents. If they are confident, why are they reluctant to initiate an investigation?" Siddaramaiah asked.

"Statment from the PMO says 50,000 ventilators are procured at a rate of Rs 4 lakhs per unit. Is this not true? Will Karnataka BJP ministers say that ventilators under PM CARES are sub-standard and lack quality?" he said.

"There will be both basic and premium models in everything. Even the PMO could have bought Rs. 18 lakh worth ventilator. Why did they buy a Rs 4 lakh worth ventilator? What is the justification from ministers for this?" he questioned.

Siddaramaiah asked that if the Medical Education Department sent a proposal worth Rs 815 crores which is not recomended by experts.
"It is true that Medical Education department has sent a proposal worth Rs 815 crores. It is also true that there is a note on the proposal which says that these are not recommended by experts. What is the significance of this note?" he tweeted.

The former Chief Minister said that if the state government is saying that if ventilators were procured during the tenure of Congress-JD(S) government, they must produce the proof.

"They are accusing us for the ventilators procured during the coalition government. I was not in the government then. If they have documents, let them investigate about that also. Let the truth be revealed," he said.

The Congress leader said that the opposition is not interested in playing politics during the time of COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are not interested in doing politics during COVID-19 pandemic, which is why we have not taken up many other pressing issues. But how can we be quiet when hundreds of people are succumbing due COVID-19 mismanagement?" he asked.

Karnataka on Friday reported 5,007 more COVID-19 cases and 110 deaths. The total number of cases in the state stands at 85,870, including 52,791 active cases and 1,724 fatalities, said the state government's bulletin.

Bengaluru, July 23: The Janta Dal (Secular) and Congress that had joined hands together in Karnataka ‘to keep communal forces at bay, have once again turned archrivals. The development comes a year after the collapse of JD(S)-Congress coalition government in the state.

Recently, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah claimed that the Congress would have won at least 10 seats in the Lok Sabha elections had it not been for the alliance with the JD(S). In response, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S), who headed the coalition government, blamed the Congress for its many 'conspiracies'.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy said he was prompted by Siddarmaiah's claims to recall what transpired during the coalition government. 

"There will never be a future alliance with Congress," Kumaraswamy declared, in a letter to his party colleagues on Wednesday. He claimed that there were many conspiracies on part of Congress, which led to the fall of the coalition government.

Kasaragod, Jul 19: An accused in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Prevention) Act (POCSO) killed self minutes before being shifted to the jail on Sunday.

Police sources said the criminal, Shaiju, was admitted to Covid-19 observation ward after he was arrested and remanded to judicial custody after he was charged with a case under POCSO for unnatural sex with a neighbour boy recently.

The accused had made a similar attempt last month but was implicated in a case after his treatment.