BJP leaders take on Sonia over remark on funds

Shettar denies Central grants were misused; seeks details of irregularities

Most of the BJP leaders who took part in the ‘Congress Hatao, Desh Bachao’ convention organised by the party on Saturday targeted UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her recent remark that the State had failed to give the accounts for funds to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore released to it by the Centre.

“Did she give that amount from her pocket?” was the common question most BJP leaders asked, while addressing the gathering.

BJP national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, who inaugurated the convention, said the Rs 80,000 crore was people’s money and it was not brought by Sonia Gandhi from Italy.

“Why is she silent on the land scam allegations against Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra?,” he asked. “BJP did not spare its own people on the issue of corruption,” he said.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said, “We will give the accounts for Rs 80,000 crore. But first, let Sonia Gandhi give details of the departments to which the money was released and in which departments it remained unutilised. We have utilised the funds properly. Funds given to the State government were not at all misused.”

He said Congress leaders from the State had failed to convince the prime minister on the issue of release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. “We are committed to protect the interests of the State. We are ready for any struggle, including legal battle, on the Cauvery issue,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa alleged that Sonia Gandhi came to Mangalore for political purposes, instead of understanding the people’s problems. The Congress is dividing the State on caste lines, he said.

‘Modi will be PM’

Higher Education Minister C T Ravi predicted that Narendra Modi would become the prime minister after the next elections, and he would bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks.

“We will give accounts for Rs 80,000 crore, after UPA discloses the details of the black money,” he said.

Throughout the convention, BJP leaders listed out the scams allegedly involving the UPA government.

BSY absent

As expected, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa did not attend the event. However, Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, MLAs Chikkanagoudar, Chandrakanth Bellad and others, all Yeddyurappa’s confidantes, participated.

But ministers C M Udasi and Basavaraj Bommai, who are also from North Karnataka region, skipped the convention. Yeddyurappa’s picture was conspicuously missing on the stage.

Earlier, Pradhan, Shettar, Eshwarappa and others held a meeting at a hotel here.

Pradhan refused to speak to the media.