Mangaluru: Expressing unhappiness over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being soft on former Minister H.Y. Meti, former KPCC chief and senior Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary demanded that the Chief Minister expel Meti from the party.
“What has happened to you (Siddaramaiah)? Is Meti more important than the party? The CM should be ashamed for trying to protect him. If there is some dignity left in him, then Siddaramaiah should expel Meti and tell the truth to the High Command,” Poojary told reporters.
He also attacked Siddaramaiah and some leaders who joined Congress recently for bringing a bad name to the party. “Our party is being destroyed because of him (Siddaramaiah),” he claimed. He denied rumours of the high command sending him a notice.
In recent days, Poojary has been vocal against several controversial decisions of the state government, the chief Minister and a few ministers. This had annoyed a section of Congress leaders. A few days ago, his opponents had claimed that the high command had issued a notice to Poojary for speaking against the party.
“I have not received any notice. Even if somebody tries his best and succeeds in throwing me out of the party, they can never take the Congress from my blood. Nehru family is in my breath,” Poojary declared, adding that his father and family were Congressmen from the Nehru era.
“Throw me out from the party if you want. Poojary won’t be sad. But remember that once I am removed, I will start my fight,” he claimed.
When asked why he did not raise his differences within the party platform instead of coming to the media, Poojary said that there was no such forum to discuss issues. “I agree that it has to be discussed within the party. But they are scared of me. My effort to give suggestions in the party platform were seen as anti-party. As the media is the only hope I speak before the media,” he clarified.
