BJP questions Surjewala's presence in meeting of D K Shivakumar and BBMP officials

The BJP and JD(S) ganged up to attack the Congress whose general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala 'chaired' a meeting with ministers and senior IAS officers on Tuesday.

Surjewala's meeting had Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, ministers Ramalinga Reddy, K J George, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, MLA Rizwan Arshad, BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh, BBMP special commissioner Tushar Girinath, members of the BBMP Restructuring Committee and others. Surjewala is the AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka.

"The 'secret meeting' held at Bengaluru's Shangri-La Hotel is just another way of Gandhis trying to control Karnataka," the BJP said in a tweet. "The family have sent their close aide Randeep Surjewala, who neither holds any position at BDA/BBMP nor in the government, to decide on Karnataka’s matters. What is his capacity or authority to chair the meeting with the BBMP and BDA commissioners/officials?" the party asked.

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The BJP even charged that the meeting was to fix deals: "Is this where the ‘85 per cent deals’ are being orchestrated by the ATM Sarkara to raise funds ahead of 2024 elections?"

BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to clarify if it was his government in power or Surjewala's. "What meeting is this? What work do Karnataka IAS officers have in a meeting done by Congress' general secretary? Are there directions to raise funds for the BBMP elections? Are BBMP wards being re-classified under Surjewala? With whose permission did officers attend the meeting?" Yatnal asked.

According to Congress sources, the meeting was held to discuss 'Brand Bengaluru' and addressing various issues plaguing the city such as traffic.

Unamused, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy wondered if the government is being run from 10 Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi. "Did Kannadigas vote for a puppet government?" he asked in a series of tweets. "Who gave Surjewala the responsibility and permission to conduct government meetings?"

Kumaraswamy pointed out that the meeting had senior ministers and IAS officers. "That means it was an official meeting. But Surjewala is occupying the centre seat while ministers are seated on the sides. So strange! The CM should answer," Kumaraswamy said.

However, Shivakumar rubbished the claims. Speaking to reporters, he stated there was no such meeting as being projected. “Officers had come to take me to the BDA office. Let them tweet whatever they want,” he said.