Poojary defends induction of Shivakumar and Roshan Baig into ministry

Poojary defends induction of Shivakumar and Roshan Baig into ministry

mangaloretoday.com

Udupi, Jan 3, 2014:Ambushed by BJP’s criticism towards blunt response on admission of ’tainted’ MLAs D K Shivakumar and Roshan Baig into the State Cabinet while condemning Yeddyurappa’s re-entry into BJP,Congress leader Janardhan Poojary on Friday  addressed a press meet here and defended the ministers’ induction into the cabinet.

On being denounced,he said,"Roshan Baig and D K Shivakumar are only facing allegations. When BJP was ruling this state two-third of its ministers were facing severe charges of indulging in scams and scandals. S R Hiremath and H S Doreswamy had the morality and guts to talk about corruption but not BJP. BJP does not have any morality.Even Gujarat CM Narendra Modi faces accusation of not appointing Lokayukta for 10 years in his state.  If Modi comes to Karnataka we will question him about his marital status and he should answer it."

 

On the act of inducting Yeddyurappa into the BJP despite being formerly charged of moral corruption,he said,"I thank BJP for inducting B S Yeddurappa. He was the person who went to jail and is facing severe charges of corruption."

Accusing that former CM D V Sadananda Gowda wallowed into corruption,he said,"When Sadananda Gowda was the chief minister of Karnataka, he falsely claimed that he owns no house and acquired a site with a house and another house in Bangalore where he is building a commercial complex. Is this not corruption?."

Furthermore,he added,"If all MPs and MLAs are acquiring sites, then where is the land to build homes for shelterless people? Where will they go?."

He also spoke on the hike in the price of non-subsidised LPG cylinder stating, "I will write to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and to AICC president Sonia Gandhi to increase the number of subsidised gas cylinders from 9 cylinders to 15 per year. When it comes to providing subsidies to poor and middle class families, everyone will raise their voice, but when subsidies are given to industrial sector no one is bothered."

He later responded to the BJP’s enormous rally on thursday against the ban on arecanut. He castigated,"BJP is unnecessarily creating confusion among areca growers. Already the chief minister and MLAs have spoken to the Prime Minister against imposing the ban. Areca will not been banned. Union government has already sanctioned Rs 25 crore as compensation to areca farmers whose crops were affected by rot disease. The government will also sanction another Rs 100 crore. The farmers were suffering even during Sadananda Gowda’s tenure as CM. What did he give to farmers?"

He addressed the gathering in the presence of M A Gafoor, Harish Kini, Narasimha Murthy and Dinesh Puthran.