K'taka BJP chief demands that CM seek resignation of Ministers Kharge, Khan over conduct, remarks

Mysuru: Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seek the resignation of Ministers Priyank Kharge and Zameer Ahmed Khan for their recent conduct and remarks that allegedly undermined the office they hold.

Kharge is minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology as well as Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, while Khan is the minister for Housing, Waqf and Minority affairs.

”Priyank Kharge, if you look at his behaviour, he seems to be in an illusion that power is permanent. If you look at the incidents that are happening in his constituency (Chittapur) and district (Kalaburagi) after the Congress government came to power, there is no difference between it and ‘goondagardi’ (goondaism),” Vijayendra remarked.

Speaking to reporters here, he said goondaism has reared its head in Kalaburagi district and it may spread to neighbouring districts and the entire state in the days to come.

Pointing to the recent attack on BJP leader Manikanth Rathod, the state BJP chief alleged that Kharge, being a minister, has allowed Congress workers to assault him in the late hours, around 1-1.30 am.

”With the arrogance of power, the minister is behaving as though he can get away with anything. I want to tell the chief minister that if everything has to go smoothly in the coming days, you have to immediately seek the minister’s resignation,” he said. ”What message are you sending to the people of the state?” he asked, slamming the ”complete inaction” of the police over several such alleged incidents.

Rathod, who had unsuccessfully contested against Kharge from Chittapur constituency in the May assembly elections, has suffered grievous injuries after he was allegedly attacked by a group of 8 to 10 unidentified bike-borne men with sharp weapons and beer bottles in Kalaburagi district, in the early hours of Sunday.

He is being treated at a private hospital in Kalaburagi for head and arm injuries.

Also, hitting out at Minister Khan for the statements he made in Telangana about the Speaker, Vijayendra said his remarks are anti-democratic, anti-constitution and anti-Dalits, and they should not be taken lightly.

”Each MLA gives great respect to the Speaker in the Vidhana Soudha, treating him as the lord of Justice. The Minister has made a statement that is condemnable. If anyone else was the CM, he would have sought such a minister’s resignation within 24 hours, condemning the statement. ”But till now neither CM Siddaramaiah nor DCM D K Shivakumar have condemned or have even commented on it… I urge the Chief Minister to seek the resignation of Zameer Ahmed immediately,” he added.

Khan had during election campaigning in Telangana recently said that the BJP leaders bowed down before a ”Muslim Speaker” (U T Khader) in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, thanks to the opportunity given by the Congress.