Bengaluru: In what could be termed as harsh criticism of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the state BJP said the government had collapsed and Mr Siddaramaiah was responsible for it.
Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar who was cornered by the Siddaramaiah government over a land allotment case, told Deccan Chronicle that the Chief Minister lacked leadership qualities, which has led to the disappearance of governance.
The Chief Minister, Mr Shettar claimed, had not solved a single problem be it the garbage mess or sugarcane growers' demands.
Usually sober and reticent, Jagadish Shettar, the opposition leader in the state assembly is becoming bolder with each passing day.
In his second stint as opposition leader, Mr Shettar made an impact, raising the Arkavathy denotification issue. Determined to take the issue to a logical end, Mr Shettar felt he was being targetted for raising the issue.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Mr Shettar, kicked up a controversy by claiming that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lacked leadership qualities and that was why he could not solve many problems. Here are excerpts from the interview.
What is your reaction to the notice served on you by BMTF?
It is a misleading one. People may get an impression that Shettar had committed some grave mistake like encroaching government land. You have to study the case properly. First, it was not my personal decision to give land. It was a cabinet decision based on the court's direction. There was nothing illegal in it. BMTF had no powers to serve notices. So, I challenged its decision in the Karnataka high court. If I had taken money or received any favour from the person whom I granted land, a case would have been made. There was no transaction nor was there any case. Why was a complaint lodged against me nearly one half years after the the cabinet took a decision? The reason was pretty clear. It is political vendetta. The moment I raised Arkavathy denotification issue, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah used someone to file a case against me.
You are saying the CM instigated someone to file a case after you raked up the Arkavathy case. Will you give up the fight on Arkavathy to avoid any embarrassment in future?
It is non-negotiable. We will not give up our fight. We had constituted a committee headed by Suresh Kumar. They promised to give us a report around November 6, thereafter we will chalk out the future course of action.
Moving on, the high court had lifted the stay on investigation into the wealth of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa and opposition leader in the Council, K.S. Eshwarappa. Will it not affect your fight against corruption?
What can one do if false cases were framed. Those cases are individual in nature. We discussed these issues. Mr Yeddyurappa told us that he was confident of winning the case. He told us it was not a strong case. Individual cases will not come in the way of our fight against the corrupt Congress government.
But the real issue is the image of the party. When both opposition leaders are in the dock, how can the public support you?
A: When a complaint is filed against an individual leader, it will not affect party's image. We have decided to fight the Arkavathy case and will continue to do so.
Recently, your party demanded the dismissal of wakf minister Qamarul Islam and home minister, K.J. George. Why?
Mr Islam was accused of encroaching upon wakf land. Based on a complaint, Lokayukta police registered a case and filed a FIR. Mr George has to go as he failed to ensure law and order.
Aren't you been selective? You targeted only minority community ministers. Why did you not raise your voice against, H.S. Mahadev Prasad and D.K. Shivakumar who are facing grave charges?
We will launch an agitation against them. We will go in a phased-manner. I would like to remind you that Santosh Lad had to resign after we stepped up the campaign. He does not belong to a minority community. We have nothing personal against any leader.
Can you elaborate on the collapse of law and order.
Mr George can't handle the portfolio. Either you sack him or change the portfolio. A retired officer, Kempaiah has been appointed as advisor to home minister. He is the de facto home minister. My information is that the officer is calling the shots. He calls for files and takes decisions. Mr George can't take any decision. It was Kempaiah who suggested that the government should take steps which are vindictive in nature.
Is your assessment restricted to law and order or do you feel the same about governance?
I have been maintaining from day one that Mr Siddaramaiah lacks leadership qualities. He can at best be a good executor. As deputy chief minister, he could work well. Why did he fail as CM? You need different qualities to become a leader. You scold IAS officers, humiliate them in public and expect them to deliver. How will they work? It is an art, you should get them to do work. Mr Siddaramaiah lacks that. We do not have a government here. This is not my assessment. This was what Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar said in different words. Ask Congress MLAs what they feel about the government. They share the same opinion. Mr Siddaramaiah can efficiently handle a portfolio, but can't lead the team.
Finally, do you plan to give Swachh Bharat, the shape of a movement?
We have plans to take it forward. For example, in my constituency, we chalked out a calendar to clean our constituency. Once in fifteen days, we will go to a ward and take up cleaning work.
