‘Siddaramaiah himself under scanner…’: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

MANGALURU: After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rejected the BJP’s demand for the resignation of IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said that Siddaramaiah himself is under the “scanner” and questioned how he could ask others to resign.

“We are not saying that he (Priyank Kharge) is a culprit, he is he not an accused at this point of time… When  Siddaramaiah himself is under the scanner, how can he tell others? This is why he is not able to ask Priyank Kharge to resign… When there was a similar incident, K S Eshwarappa resigned… In 2009-10 when the then Governor permitted prosecution, B S Yediyurappa resigned… We (BJP) are asking you to follow what we did only”, Joshi told reporters in Mangaluru.

#WATCH | Mangaluru, Karnataka | On CM Siddaramaiah statement, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “… We are not saying that he (Priyank Kharge) is a culprit but is he not an accused at this point of time?… When Mr. Siddaramaiah himself is under the scanner, how can he tell… pic.twitter.com/71SBTH9MVd

— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2025

Earlier today, Siddaramaiah rejected the BJP’s demand for the resignation of Minister Priyank Kharge in connection with the suicide of a contractor. He described the demand as an allegation driven by political hatred. “Minister Priyank Kharge’s name is not on the death note of Bidar contractor Sachin Panchal, who committed suicide. There is neither any role nor evidence linking her to this case. Hence, the question of resignation does not arise”, Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

“However, the minister has stated that he is ready for any inquiry. In a similar case, BJP’s KS Eshwarappa’s name was written on the death note. The investigation into the complaint filed in connection with the case has been entrusted to the CID, and appropriate action will be taken after receiving the report,” the CM added.

Responding to the BJP’s insistence that the investigation should be handed over to the CBI, the chief minister asked whether the BJP has no faith in the state police. “When the BJP was in power, not a single case was handed over to the CBI. The BJP has no morals to demand that the CBI should investigate”, he said.

The BJP had demanded the resignation of Priyank Kharge, alleging that a contractor named Sachin had died by suicide due to harassment and threats from Minister Priyank Kharge’s close aide, Raju Kapanur. The BJP alleged that contractors have been facing difficulties under the Congress government in the state. It claimed that financial troubles and stress are driving contractors to die by suicide. (ANI)