BENGALURU: Livid with the call for two shutdowns by pro-Kannada organisations, which coincide with the visits of BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 25 and February 4 respectively, BJP leaders are pointing fingers at the ruling Congress in provoking these strikes on the row over sharing of the river Mahadayi water.
On Monday, several BJP leaders accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with egging on these organizations to call for a shutdown on the very days that the two top party leaders are scheduled to address rallies in Mysuru and Bengaluru respectively.
“There's no necessity for a Karnataka bandh. What has Mysuru got to do with Mahadayi,” fumed state unit president B S Yeddyurappa , while leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, charged that calls for a shutdown were "politically motivated."
BSY: Siddaramaiah​ is behind bandhs
State BJP chief, B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday alleged that the bandh called over the Mahadayi river water dispute was instigated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah only to hamper his party national president, Amit Shah's visit to Mysuru on Thursday.
The BJP leader, who was speaking to reporters while on his parivartana yatra in the Chief Minister's home town, demanded, "What is the connection between Mysuru region and the Mahadayi issue? Our party has always supported the cause. The Goa Chief Minister has said he is ready to give water to Karnataka, but Congress leaders in the opposition in that state are against it. Neither Mr Rahul Gandhi nor Ms Sonia Gandhi have reacted to this. They don't want the issue to be resolved."
Accusing Mr Siddaramaiah of using the state machinery to victimise his political rivals, he said, "When I was Chief Minister I did not indulge in politics of hatred, but you (Siddaramaiah) formed the Anti-Corruption Bureau and targeted whoever was against you. You think you can win elections with caste, money and muscle power but this is not possible."
Referring to the detention of BJP city Youth Morcha president, Gokul Govardhan by the Nazarbad police, Mr Yeddyurappa alleged that he was assaulted by the police. "Police stations in Mysuru have become offices of the Congress party. We will complain about this to the higher authorities and bring it to the notice of Mr Amit Shah as well," he added.
Meanwhile ,Mysuru city police commissioner said he had received a complaint against the Nazarbad police from Mr Govardhan and the former had failed a counter complaint against him as well.
At Nanjangud, former Minister , V Srinivasprasad said he would release his book , detailing among other things, his bitter experiences with Mr Siddaramaiah, in the second week of February.
BJP: We will raise 67 cases against CM
From denotification of land, accepting bribes for renewal of licence of liquor shops and purchase of medicines, to permission for mining granite, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been accused of wrongdoing in as many as 67 complaints. The ACB, however, has not registered any case against the CM and issued a clean chit, said BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, who plans to use the corruption charges as the poll plank in his campaign.
