“If PayCM [campaign] applies to anyone, it is Siddaramaiah [Leader of Opposition in the Assembly]. It means Pay to CM-Congress Madam. It implies that Siddaramaiah became Chief Minister after paying money to Sonia Gandhi,’’ BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel said in Vijayapura on Tuesday.
He told journalists that KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar had planned the PayCM campaign, only to insult Mr. Siddaramaiah. But Mr. Siddaramaiah has not realised Mr. Shivakumar’s intent yet. One day, Mr. Shivakumar will reveal how much money Ms. Gandhi received from Mr. Siddaramaiah, he said.
Mr. Siddarmaiah made money from drugs and sand mafia, Mr. Kateel said. The former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddiyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have controlled that mafia, the BJP State president said.
“As a former Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah weakened the institution of Lokayukta. But our government will strengthen it. The Siddaramaiah government was full of scams and scandals. But the Congress did not take any steps against them,” he said.
“When our government received reports of irregularities in Police Sub-Inspector recruitment, we wasted no time and arrested an officer of the rank of Additional Director-General of Police,” he said.
Mr. Kateel also said that Mr. Siddaramaiah is responsible for the rise of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in the State.
“The Siddaramaiah government withdrew cases filed against some anti-national elements associated with the PFI and the SDPI. That was done with an eye on votes. Now, with the help of National Investigation Agency (NIA), the State Police have begun an operation against these organisations,’’ he said.
To a query, Mr. Kateel said that the government will ban the PFI and the SDPI, if enough evidence is available against them.
