Siddaramaiah: Arrest me, when BS Yeddyurappa has 20 cases?

Manvi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday questioned how state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa could send him to jail when inquiries are underway in more than 20 cases against the former chief minister.

He told the media here: “He (Mr Yeddyurappa) should know that for sending me to jail, all charges should be proved. Without realising this, he is issuing a statement that within 24 hours of coming to power, he will put me behind bars. It shows how desperate he has become without power. What is astonishing is that Mr Yeddyurappa is talking like this despite inquiries on in more than 20 cases against him.”

The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP leader was airing such allegations to divert people’s attention from demonetisation issue.

Answering a question, Mr Siddaramaiah said the state government has received only Rs 450 crores so far towards drought relief projects from the Union government.  

On the demand for declaring conservation tag for Kappatagudda, near Gadag, Mr Siddaramaiah said the voice of people would prevail, but hastened to add that an appropriate decision would be taken after considering the pros and cons.

He spiked reports about political pressure to promote tainted KAS officers to IAS cadre. “The decision on conferring IAS is with UPSC, and my government has no role in it”, he added.

In response to another question, Mr Siddaramaiah said his government has implemented most of the recommendations of Hota Committee report to implement reforms in Karnataka Public Service Commission.  Speaking after inaugurating developmental projects later, Mr Siddaramaiah exuded confidence of his party returning to power in the next Assembly election. “This is because of our good work. We have fulfilled most of the 165 poll promises made, and will fulfill the rest soon”, he added.

He claimed that Anna Bhagya scheme has helped reduced migration of people from rural areas to urban pockets in search of employment.

Now, Congress threatens to put state BJP chief in jail
Faced with a volley of charges from the BJP,  Congress leaders were at their combative best at the party's "Sathyameva Jayathe" rally here on Thursday, warning state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa, that he would go to jail again once he was indicted in the cases in which the state had gone on appeal against him.

With the BJP accusing CM Siddaramaiah of paying off the Congress high command with '1,000 crore to save his position and Mr Yeddyurappa threatening to send him to jail once his party dislodged the Congress in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress leaders came out with a string of charges of their own. KPCC president, Dr G Parameshwar warned that no one, including BJP chief Amit Shah or Mr Yeddyurappa could make Karnataka Congress-free.