Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of Inciting Communal Violence in the state, claiming that the party is responsible for recent unrest. Speaking to reporters at Mysuru airport, he addressed the ongoing stone-pelting incidents that occurred during Ganesh Visarjan.
Siddaramaiah criticized the media’s portrayal of the situation, emphasizing that the state saw around 60,000 Ganesh idol installations this year, with only two reported incidents of violence. He pointed to stone-pelting in Davanagere and riots in Nagamangala, noting that police negligence was evident and leading to the suspension of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) involved.
When asked about the lack of investigation by the Lokayukta into de-notification cases against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah stated that ministers had released documents related to the case. He alleged that valuable land was illegally de-notified for Kumaraswamy’s relatives, despite officials deeming the process illegal.
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Siddaramaiah clarified that his government is not making accusations but urged Kumaraswamy to act responsibly, describing him as a “hit-and-run” politician who fails to follow through on his claims.
Regarding the arrest of BJP MLA Munirathna, the Chief Minister mentioned that MLAs from the Vokkaliga community had approached him to request that the cases against Munirathna be assigned to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He promised to discuss this request with Home Minister G. Parameshwara.
In other announcements, Siddaramaiah revealed that senior writer Hampa Nagarajaiah has been invited to inaugurate this year’s Dussehra festival in Mysuru. He also noted that instructions have been given to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to expedite re-examinations for gazetted probationary posts and mentioned discussions about raising the age limit for constable posts from 27 to 33 years.