NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has denied allegations of engaging in "vindictive politics" and accused the
BJP of indulging in such practices. His comments come in response to the BJP and JD(S) accusing the Congress government of targeting former Chief Minister B S
Yediyurappa and his family, following an arrest warrant against him in a POCSO case.
Siddaramaiah pointed out instances where the BJP had booked cases against him, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, even cancelling the latter's Lok Sabha membership. He also mentioned the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, questioning whether it should be called "hate politics or love politics." The Chief Minister emphasized that he and his government have never indulged in vindictive politics and will not do so in the future, stating, "It (vindictive politics) is BJP's job."
The Karnataka High Court has restrained the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from arresting Yediyurappa in connection with the POCSO Act case and has directed him to appear before the CID on June 17. The case was registered based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that Yediyurappa molested her daughter during a meeting at his residence in February this year.
Regarding the appointment of eight MPs from South India as union ministers, Siddaramaiah dismissed it as part of a larger plan by PM Modi to expand the BJP in the south. He stated that people in South India won't support the BJP, as it is "RSS' political face mask." The Chief Minister also mentioned the BJP's setback in the north during the Lok Sabha polls, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai (Maharashtra).
Siddaramaiah further criticized the BJP's practice of threatening opponents using agencies like the ED, Income Tax, and CBI, attributing their failure to secure a majority in the recent elections to this behavior. Regarding the NEET exam issue, he called for a probe and a re-exam, stating that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had not conducted the exams properly and that giving grace marks was not a good practice. Lastly, the Chief Minister confirmed that Zilla and Taluk Panchayat polls will be conducted as soon as possible.