The Congress on Friday put up a show of unity to defend Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and ruled out his resignation as demanded by the BJP in the wake of CBI registering an FIR against him in connection with death of police officer M K Ganapathy.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with senior ministers at the Vidhana Soudha, told reporters that George had resigned when the Madikeri Town police had filed an FIR against him in the same case last year. The CID had filed a 'B' report and gave a clean chit to George following which he was reinstated. The CBI FIR is not a fresh one, it is just a continuation of the FIR registered by the Madikeri police." However, George was not present at the meeting.
Siddaramaiah said the CBI is a central agency and there is no way George could influence the investigation as claimed by the BJP. "With the Assembly polls nearing, the BJP just wants to take political mileage by tarnishing the image of the government and George."
Siddaramaiah said there are 20 ministers in the NDA government against whom there are several cases including that of cheating and charges of inciting communal violence. In the state BJP, its president B S Yeddyurappa has seven cases of corruption against him. "Have they all resigned? The BJP has no moral right to seek the resignation of George."
He said the BJP was misusing the CBI. The investigation closing cases related to multi-crore mining scam during the BJP regime is an indication of party's motives, he said.
Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah is learnt to have spoken to AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal on the George issue. Venugopal is said to have told Siddaramaiah to strongly defend George.
Congress sources said the party is planning to politically strike back at the BJP by reviving old cases against its leaders.