Claiming that whatever assets the Lokayukta found during the raids on his residences were those which had already been declared by him, Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said here on Tuesday. He maintained that the raids had actually helped him to publicly prove that he had not amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income as alleged by a complainant.
“Monday, when the raids were conducted, was the happiest day in my life as the raids brought out the truth and helped in putting an end to the confusion among the party workers following a complaint before the Lokayukta court accusing me of amassing assets disproportionate to my known sources of income,” Mr. Eshwarappa told a press conference here.
“I am very relieved and satisfied that I have not caused damage to the image of the party or the government as the Lokayukta police told a press conference after the raids that they have not found any documents or properties other than those declared by me,” he said.
“The cash and gold that were found during the raid were all part of the declared assets. The 37 kg of silver articles in my possession comprises gifts presented to me by various associations at different programmes,” he said.
The simultaneous raids on various places that were conducted from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. were like digging a huge mountain to catch a small rat as they did not yield anything, he remarked.
Though Mr. Eshwarappa did not give a direct reply to queries on whether he thought that the complaint was politically motivated, he declared that he would expose those behind the episode.
“I will not keep quiet. I will take steps to ensure that the injustice that is done to me through a private complaint should not be done to others,” he said. However, he desisted from naming whom he thought were behind the episode. He only said that he would comment on the issue after two days.
Referring to the demand for his resignation made by Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, G. Parameshwara and Ugrappa, he said: “I would like to ask them if they really want me to quit even after the raids did not yield any results.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told presspersons here on Tuesday that there was no need for Mr. Eshwarappa to quit now in the wake of the Lokayukta raids. “Let the Lokayukta report come, then we can decide,” he said.
