Diary row: BJP protests against CM, demands resignation

The members of the BJP city unit, on Saturday, staged a protest against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for giving Rs 1,000 crore to the Congress party high command to stay afloat.

The agitating BJP workers demanded the chief minister’s resignation. The agitators tried to lay a siege to the residence of the CM at TK Layout in the city. However, the police took them into custody and released them later. As a precautionary measure, the police had banned agitation in 200-meter radius of Siddaramaiah’s house in the city.

The striking BJP workers, who gathered near Kavita Bakery on New Kantaraj Urs Road, took out a protest march. When the rally arrived at Mysuru Diganta Circle, the police took the agitators into custody for trying to cross the barricades. The agitators raised slogans against the CM and the ministers.

The agitators, based on the entries in a diary which was seized by Income Tax department, accused the CM of paying Rs 1,000 crore to the Congress high command. They alleged that the state government has been misusing people’s money.

The CM and his Cabinet colleagues are looting the state and diverting the same to the party high command, they alleged. Former MLC Go Madhusudhan alleged that the state government has misused the funds earmarked to tackle drought.  Siddaramaiah will be sent to jail for engineering a series of scams, he said.

Former minister S A Ramdas demanded the ministers’ resignation and accused the state government of using force to control the protest. “We will intensify the protest till the end of the Congress rule in the state,” he said.

BJP city unit president Dr B H Manjunath, rural unit president M Shivanna, leader B P Manjunath and Corporator Nandish Preetham among others led the protest.