Modi, Shah trying to topple govt, says Siddaramaiah

G T Devegowda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are involved in the attempts to topple the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.

Siddaramaiah’s charge runs contrary to Higher Education Minister G T Deve Gowda of the JD(S), who absolved Modi of any involvement from the ongoing political drama.

“I think he (Deve Gowda) doesn’t know. Amit Shah himself is doing this. The prime minister is also involved in this...to pull down this government,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. They have been at it for the past year but didn’t succeed. Again they’ve started, but I don’t think they’ll succeed,” he added.

Earlier in the day, G T Deve Gowda had said the BJP leadership had nothing to do with the resignation of Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi.

“Modi or Shah are not doing anything to destabilise this government or any government where they’re not in power. They’re thinking about what to do for the nation, for Kashmir, how to deal with China and the US. Modi has promised a farmer-friendly budget on July 5. They’re busy with that,” Gowda said.

Siddaramaiah, who also chairs the Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee, has been holding one-on-one talks with disgruntled legislators since Monday, when two MLAs - Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi - resigned.

“The BJP has come up with a new strategy. They’re saying they’re not doing or trying anything and that if any MLAs come on their own, they will be inducted into their party. But it is the BJP that’s conspiring. They’re trying to lure our MLAs with money and power. They want to form the government through the backdoor despite people not giving them a mandate. But somehow, they want to topple the government because of their lust for power,” he said.

Asked if he had contacted Singh and Ramesh, Siddaramaiah said: “I am not able to contact them on the phone.” He also asserted that no MLA would quit the party. “The government is 100% safe.”