Thaindian News

Bangalore, Oct 16 (IANS) A surcharged Congress in Karnataka Sunday urged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to resign as it lost moral right to continue after its scam-hit former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was jailed Saturday in two graft cases related to land scams during his over three year tenure.

“The BJP’s second government in the state, headed by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, has no right to be in power anymore. Gowda should resign, recommend dissolution of the state legislative assembly and go for mid-term elections,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parmeshwar told reporters at Udupi, about 400 km from here.

Charging Gowda of sheltering many tainted ministers in his cabinet, Parmeshwar said with Yeddyurappa and former BJP minister S.N. Krishnaiah Shetty joining BJP former ministers G. Janaradhan Reddy and Katta Subramanyam Naidu in jail, the ruling party “with a difference” had lost the goodwill of the people to continue in power.

“Three-fourths of cabinet ministers in the Gowda government are facing serious charges of cheating, forgery and corruption. If the BJP has any respect for Constitution and democratic rights of the people, it should seek a fresh mandate by dissolving the assembly and hold elections at the earliest,” Parameshwar asserted.

Yeddyaurappa and Shetty were sent to even-day judicial custody by the Lokayukta (ombudsman) trial court on graft charges in the de-notification of lands around Bangalore on a complaint filed by two city advocates after Governor H.R. Bhardwaj sanctioned the then chief minister’s prosecution.

Mining baron Reddy was arrested Sep 5 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Bellary and jailed in Hyderabad for his alleged criminal involvement in the multi-crore mining scam in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while Naidu was jailed for allegedly receiving Rs.85 crore kickbacks for granting 385 acres of land to a software firm on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Yeddyurappa, who was the ruling party’s first chief minister in south India, resigned July 31 after he was also indicted in the mining scam.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramiah also sought the dismissal of the Gowda government for failing to provide a good administration and letting down the people on all fronts.

“Though Gowda became chief minister over two months ago, the government has not convened the assembly session to discuss issues confronting the state, including the Lokayukta (ombdusman) probe report on the mining scam, drought in half the districts across the state and crippling energy crisis due to coal shortage and inefficient operation of thermal power stations,” Siddaramaiah said after meeting the governor at Raj Bhavan here Sunday.

Echoing Parameshwar, Siddaramaiah said the arrest of Yeddyurappa, Shetty, Reddy and Naidu in graft cases and scams has vindicated the Congress charge against the BJP government and its ruling party was most corrupt and a disgrace to the 60 million people of the state.

“What moral right has Gowda or the BJP has to be in power? They have squandered the people’s mandate and ruined the state’s economy, causing hardship to people reeling under power crisis, infrastructure bottlenecks and a corrupt administration,” Siddaramaiah asserted.