Janthakal case: JD(S) women's wing seeks divine intervention for Kumaraswamy

Janata Dal (Secular) women’s wing members from various parts of the state offered puja to Chamundeshwari atop the Chamundi Hill on Wednesday to seek divine blessings for former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

Addressing reporters at a press conference here, JD(S) women’s wing state president Sheela Naik said that the puja was offered in the wake of JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy’s name figuring in an illegal mining case (Janthakal mining). Kumaraswamy is being tried by the Lokayukta Special Court. The members also prayed for the victory of the party in the upcoming Assembly elections in 2018. Party women workers from Shivamogga, Davanagere, Gulbarga, Bengaluru, Raichur and other districts took part in the puja.

She said that Kumaraswamy’s name has unnecessarily dragged in the case. “Senior bureaucrat Gangaram Baderiya was involved in the case. When Kumaraswamy was the chief minister he used to refer the files to bureaucrats who were assisting him. Baderiya is the man behind the scam. Kumaraswamy will come out clean,” she said.

Naik said that the JD(S) will emerge as the single largest party in the upcoming Assembly elections as the people of the state are with Kumaraswamy and party supremo H D Deve Gowda. There were 19 ministers belonging to minority, SC and ST communities in H D Deve Gowda’s cabinet in 1995 which shows the party’s social commitment, she said.

Accusing the state government led by Congress party of inefficiency, Naik said that in recent days, harassment against women and girls is increasing and the government has failed to check such crimes. Many farmers have committed suicides and the farmers, who were protesting during water crisis were lathi-charged during Siddaramaiah’s period. Various ‘bhagyas’ (schemes) introduced by the state government are useless and do not favour the people, she said.

JD(S) women wing state vice president Anjali Ramu, city president Prema Shankaregowda and district president Sujata Durgesh were also present.