Contractor's death: BJP leader Arun Singh slams Congress for demanding minister's resignation

BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh on Wednesday hit back at the Congress for demanding the resignation of Minister K S Eshwarappa over the alleged suicide of a contractor, pointing to ”atrocities and rapes” in Rajasthan ruled by it.

Civil works contractor Santosh K Patil, who had accused the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister of corruption, was found dead in an Udupi lodge on Tuesday. The minister has categorically refuted the charge.

”This is a very sad incident. I express my deepest sorrow over it. The Chief Minister is getting the entire case investigated. What are the angles behind it? Who are behind this? Who abetted him? There will be a decision shortly on this,” Singh told reporters in Chikkodi in this district.

The 37-year-old contractor had earlier alleged that Eshwarappa demanded 40 per cent commission for release of funds for the civil works undertaken by him at Hindalga village ahead of a village festival in Belagavi district.

A case of abetment of suicide has been registered by the Udupi police against Eshwarappa and his aides Basavaraj, Ramesh and others.

The Congress has demanded the arrest of Eshwarappa on ”murder charges” and his dismissal from the government. The party staged demonstrations in different parts of the state in this connection.

”I have already said that there will be a decision on this shortly but there are many angles behind this incident. It should not be seen from just one angle but we will certainly take a decision on this issue,” Singh said.

To a query on the Congress mounting pressure on the government to sack the minister, Singh said the opposition party should see how atrocities are taking place on Dalits in Rajasthan, which is ruled by it.

”A woman is raped in an ambulance in Jaipur, atrocities happen on women in Karauli and Dhaulpur and they are murdered. On top of it, Priyanka Gandhi (Congress leader) was staying in Sawai Madhopur when a woman was murdered but she did not visit the spot,” Singh claimed.

He added that Congress-ruled Rajasthan is on the top in terms of atrocities committed on Dalits and rapes against women.

”They (Karnataka Congress leaders) should go to Rajasthan to see how atrocities are taking place on Dalits and tribals and they are murdered but they will not go there. This duplicity should not happen,” Singh said.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in politics, Singh said the BJP does not want to do politics on the issue.

”We are saying that the guilty will be punished but we have to see the case in totality on who are behind it. It is not a simple incident,” Singh said.