Bidar: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has questioned BJP's moral right to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Neha Hiremath murder case.
Speaking to the media in Bidar today, Siddaramaiah challenged the BJP's stance, pointing out the absence of any cases handed over to the CBI during their tenure.
"Has BJP handed over any case to CBI during its rule in Karnataka? In my previous stint as Chief Minister, I had entrusted several cases to the CBI. What moral right do they have to demand a CBI probe into this case?" Siddaramaiah questioned.
He assured that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into Neha Hiremath's murder has been expedited to ensure stringent punishment for the accused.
“There should be no politics in this. I have spoken to the public prosecutor seeking stringent punishment for the accused. We have condemned the murder. Other parties should not use the incident politically. The government is making a concerted effort to bring the guilty to book,” he added.
Responding to criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Congress manifesto, Siddaramaiah raised questions about the fulfillment of promises made by Modi.
"Has he deposited Rs 15 lakh into each account? Has he generated 2 crore jobs as pledged? Has he doubled farmers' income? Has he lowered the prices of essential commodities?" Siddaramaiah questioned.
Regarding Modi's statement about Congress's move of reservation for Muslims from the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) category, Siddaramaiah clarified that the 4 percent reservation for the Muslim community was initiated in 1994 as per the recommendations of the Chinnappa Reddy Commission.
"The community had approached the Supreme Court against the withdrawal of this reservation during the tenure of the previous Chief Minister Bommai. At that time, the BJP government had given an undertaking before the Supreme Court that it would continue with the 4 percent reservation, which is still continuing," Siddaramaiah added.
