“Karnataka has nothing to do with the court and its verdict in Jayalalithaa case,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told presspersons here on Tuesday.
He was speaking after receiving petitions from the public on various issues at the Janata Darshan at his official residence Krishna. The Supreme Court had to take a decision on shifting Ms. Jayalalithaa to Tamil Nadu, he said. The Special Court, which convicted her and sentenced her, was set up in Bangalore based on the apex court’s directive, he said.
To a question on the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s suggestion to shift Ms. Jayalalithaa to Tamil Nadu, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “The State cannot take a decision on the matter.”
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Asked about the safety of Kannadigas residing Tamil Nadu in the wake of a supporter of Ms. Jayalalithaa reportedly putting up posters warning Kannadigas living in that State that they would be held “hostage” if the former Chief Minister was denied bail by the High Court of Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “We are living in a federal structure. It is the responsibility of the State governments to provide security to citizens.”
The Chief Minister said the government was committed to providing security and ensuring safety of Tamils residing in Karnataka. Similarly, it was the responsibility of the Tamil Nadu government to ensure the safety of Kannadigas residing in Tamil Nadu, he said.
Home Minister K.J. George called on Mr. Siddaramaiah and discussed security arrangements in Bangalore and other parts of the State. The State government has deployed police personnel in border areas and in Bangalore to prevent any untoward incident.
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