I have done nothing wrong: Shobha Karandlaje

Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who has attacked the Jagadish Shettar government over law and order situation, on Saturday defended herself by saying she has done nothing wrong by raising the issue pertaining to safety of women in the State.

She said if she was asked to resign because she spoke about this fact,  she would resign not “once or ten times, but hundred times”.

When Deccan Herald sought her reaction on BJP MP Pralhad Joshi’s demand that she should step down from the Cabinet for having “criticised chief minister Jagadish Shettar,” Karandlaje said that she had not attacked the chief minister, instead she had “spoken in favour of women”.

“Is it wrong to highlight the point that atrocities against women are being committed in the Shettar’s home district? What action has the government been taking? I have already been asked to resign once, and this is the second time that such a demand is being made. With regard to this issue, I am ready to resign even a hundred time,” she said.

‘Am clueless’

When asked whether or not she would tender her resignation and join KJP after Sankranti, Karandlaje claimed that she was “clueless” about her future move, and that she wouldn’t like to comment on the same.

Karandlaje has already indicated that she was on her way out and would quit the ministry and BJP to join the KJP.

By dropping Karandlaje, a close loyalist of B S Yeddyurappa, Shettar and in turn the BJP wants to send a strong message to the former chief minister that it is undeterred by his threat to dislodge the state government soon after Sankaranti (January 14).