Cong should reimburse expenses for CM's ralies: Shobha

BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday said that the Congress party should reimburse to the government the expenses incurred by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to organise the rallies and programmes undertaken as part of Navakarnataka Nirmana Yatra.

Karandlaje said the chief minister's yatra was more of a political event than a tour to highlight the government's initiatives.

She said Siddaramaiah was not only misusing the taxpayers' money, but also the government machinery for the rallies, where he attack his political opponents.

Shobha demanded that Siddaramaiah put a stop to his whirlwind tours immediately in the light of a  PIL filed before the High Court against it.

She said the tours were a clear violation of the Supreme Court order  of 2013, which said public funds should not be used for political or electoral gains.

The Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP said there was no provision under the law to organise political meets using government funds and  expressed confidence that the High Court, which is scheduled to hear the PIL on January 8, would take serious note of Siddaramaiah's "political impropriety" and "violation of administrative norms".