Home Minister G. Parameshwar has dismissed the charge made by BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa that Congress leaders are making meaningless statement out of their despair.
Mr. Eshwarappa has made such a statement in response to Minister Santosh Lad who said that the BJP is using the Ayodhya Ram Mandir for political gains, he added.
“The Minister [Santosh Lad] has also said that the temple has not been built at the spot indicated by the Supreme Court. The question is whether the Minster has made a false statement? Mr. Lad has spoken the truth. His intention behind saying that the temple has not eradicated poverty is that the State needs to protect the interests of the poor and backward classes. “We in the Congress are doing that and hope that the Prime Minister will also do so,” he said.
He was in Haveri to participate in an event where the Chief Minister inaugurated a police quarters and launched several other facilities.
Reacting to allegations by the Opposition that the police have been soft in handling the Hangal gang rape case, he said that the allegations are baseless.
“The police have investigated the case thoroughly and arrested the accused. We will investigate further. I will make a statement on the floor of the House in two days,” he said.
He said that the BJP is daydreaming about the Congress government in the State falling. Its dreams will be shattered soon, he added.
To a query on the appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Parameshwar said that it is natural for the demand to exist but the party high command will decide on it.
He said that there are enough candidates in the Congress for Lok Sabha polls and that there is no shortage of contestants.