Hassan: Dismissing the BJP’s spate of successes in elections across the country as “momentary,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contended here on Saturday that “its run of success would not last long as things would change.”
Ruling out the possibility of a “Congress-Mukt Bharatha” (Congress-Free India) that the BJP was clamouring for, he said the Congress’s history of 130 years, secular credentials and social commitment gave it a very strong foundation.
On BJP national president, Amit Shah’s arrival in Bengaluru, he declared, “Amit Shah can come and go but the Congress doesn’t need to worry. We are strong in the state and he can do no harm to our party’s prospects in Karnataka.”
Asked about the possibility of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara being inducted into his cabinet, Mr Siddaramaiah said it was left to the party high command.
He, however, refused to comment when asked about Dr Parameshwara’s recent meeting with leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and former Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna.
Asked whether the government would reduce the bus fares owing to a fall in fuel prices, Mr Siddaramaiah pointed out that the BJP ruled states of Gujarat and Rajasthan had not rolled back their bus fares.
“Its shameful that BJP leaders want a cut in bus fares here when their own party ruled states have not bothered to do so,” he said, however, assuring that he would hold a meeting with the officials to discuss a possible reduction in bus fares.
The Chief Minister also declared that there would be no change in the members selected for the Karnataka State Public Service Commission. “The charges against them are all false,” he maintained.
Also dismissing all allegations of energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar’s involvement in a coal scam, he said there was no question of dropping him from the state cabinet.
