Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief criticise Yeddyurappa after his acquittal in kickback case

BENGALURU: A day after his acquittal by a CBI court, state BJP president B. S. Yeddyurappa was criticized by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr. G.Parameshwar with both leaders saying the former chief minister would be punished in the people's court in elections to the Legislative Assembly in 2018.  

Replying to felicitations by senior Congress leaders and general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Digvijay Singh, on completion of six years as state unit chief, Dr. Parameshwar said: "The CBI court has acquitted Mr. Yeddyurappa of charges of corruption, but how did Rs. 20 crores money come to his (Mr Yeddyurappa)'s account?  We don't know how you (Mr Yeddyurappa) got a clean chit from the court, but one thing is sure that you will be defeated in the people's court in 2018 elections, and truth will prevail."

Mr Siddaramaiah too attacked Mr Yeddyurappa. "People know that Mr Yeddyurappa indulged in corruption and went to jail. They will not forget these corruption cases in elections in 2018," he added.

Congratulating Dr. Parameshwar for completing record six years as KPCC president, the Chief Minister stated "no leader in the Congress held the president's post so long. He has worked hard to strengthen the party in the state." Taking a dig at the media for misrepresenting facts, the Chief Minister said Dr Parameshwar and he worked as a team with no differences so far.  

In his address, Congress leader in Lok Sabha, M Mallikarjun Kharge, "whenever party leaders have been targetted by dissidents, our party or the leaders concerned should back such leaders. I have been attacked several times, and my effigies burnt several times. I have been in public life for 50 years, and at this stage I cannot defend myself in the presence of the media. The party should come to my defence."  This was an oblique reference to caustic statements by senior ministers who were dropped during the recent reshuffle.

Hariprasad advice to CM: Don’t ignore old guard
Congress general secretary B.K. Hariprasad advised Mr Siddaramaiah not to ignore the old guard in the party. “If you (Mr Siddaramaiah) ignore veteran Congress leaders, you will meet the same fate as Dr Parameshwar in 2013 Assembly elections. Our party appointed Dr Parameshwar as KPCC president because of his clean image, but he was defeated in the elections because he ignored senior Congress leaders,” he remarked.